Beyond Smallville: Gold Wing
by gardy77
Summary: New! The Crystal Cave! Gold Wing's new story arc is called The Mystery of Burntwood Manor. Chapter 26 - Isle of Tears. Laura finds an old diary map to a mysterious island. Is there more to it than meets the eye? A tropical vacation leads to a new mystery. Gold Wing is now involved in a new multipart story called Superman: Rough Justice, part 4 of the series debuts this week.
1. Chapter 1: Gold Wing

Gold Wing

Sequel to "Death in the Heartland", this fic is a crossover with Smallville, featuring my own original character, Laura Lake aka Gold Wing. The young metahuman aspires to one day become a member of the Justice League of America. For now, though, she was simply a hyper speeding high school girl.

Laura Lake and her best friend, Tim Servo, were entering their senior year at Falcon Claw High School in central Nebraska. Laura had just learned that she was no longer unique. She'd run across a super powered young man in Kansas named Clark Kent.

She'd gone to visit the pleasant farm boy on a whim, only to learn that he'd had a live in, on again, off again girlfriend, and roommate named Lois Lane. Laura entertained the idea of challenging Miss Lane, a newly hired cub reporter for Metropolis's Daily Planet, for Clark's attentions.

Laura had backed off, knowing that Miss Lane was older and likely more experienced than she. It would have been exceedingly difficult for the schoolgirl to unseat the college age Lois, so she decided to simply remain friends with the unusually gifted, strong, and fast Clark Kent.

Today, Laura returned to her humdrum life in Falcon Claw, Nebraska, a rural, backwards leaning agricultural community. Despite the work Laura did in helping to run her Aunt Wanda's farm, and hardware store, the turbo-charged teen grew quickly bored.

Laura had opted to adopt an alter ego named Gold Wing, to add some excitement to her mediocre life. Also, Laura had excelled in any physical education classes for obvious reasons. She wanted more to challenge herself, so the teen took up martial arts classes.

_One never knew when or if the Loracite power ramp up would peter out_, she often thought. _I'd better have a backup plan._ So Laura registered and passed every martial arts class she could find. It also trained her to use a small percentage of her overall supernatural strength and speed, adding some gracefulness to her moves was also a challenge.

Laura had just completed her farm chores at her usual hyper speed, and ventured into her barn loft hideaway, and idea she'd since borrowed, when she noticed an unopened e mail on her laptop computer. It was from Clark Kent. Immediately, her heart jumped. Had Lois dumped her recently intended beau? It would be too much to hope for, she reasoned.

Laura flipped it open, and the message was short and simple: Hey Laura, how's that Gold Wing thing working for you? Clark had written. She quickly updated young Clark on her latest activities, including the proverbial leap over a tall building, in this case, a barn silo that she'd pulled off.

She sent the e mail on its way, but received no immediate reply, so Laura grudgingly finished her homework instead. Laura had opted to disengage from any further sports activities other than the required physical ed slash hygiene class she'd taken. Clark had convinced her that her 'talents' were unfair to other competitive athletes.

Out of sheer boredom, Laura went to visit her best friend and confident, Tim Servo.


	2. Chapter 2: Golden Prophecy

PG 13 Language / Violence / Nothing too bad.

_Golden Prophecy_:

Laura ventured out later in the day, knocking on Tim Servo's door. The self-proclaimed geek answered. "Trick or treat!" Laura joshed. The teen superhero was sporting her new 'Gold Wing' outfit. Laura had a new fluffier hairstyle, raven black with golden yellow highlights.

She donned a sharp leather jacket, tight leather pants which ended in a minor cuff halfway down her shins, shiny black leather heeled boots, and a midriff baring bright yellow, cropped, low cut, tee shirt. The capper was her cheesy black mask, which looked like it belonged in a Mardi Gras parade.

"Behold! Gold Wing!" She smirked as Tim invited her in. "Uh, Laura, it's only late August, a bit early for Halloween isn't it?" She frowned. "Oh, take the stick out, Tim-Ster. And you wonder why you can't find a homecoming date."

"Ouch! A thrust to the heart, dear Laura." Tim countered. Laura put her hands on her shapely hips. "Don't be such a drama queen. What do you think? I'm ready to save the world!" Laura did a playful 'runway model' walk for him, twisting suggestively. "Isn't it too hot for leather?" Tim asked.

"It better be 'hot' at the prices I paid for this getup." Laura gibed. She slipped off her leather jacket, and flipped it over her bare shoulder, purposely exaggerating the movement. This revealed ample cleavage, which Tim silently noted. "I apologize, my friend, you are definitely hot!" Tim gushed.

"Aww! Nice save, Tim." Laura smiled brightly. "Have we learned anything more about the cave drawings?" She asked, changing the subject, and getting back to business. "Yes, as I understand the crude legend, the Tekamah Native American Indians believe that a prophecy will reveal to them the 'savior from the stars' on her eighteenth birthday."

Laura was skeptical. "Could they even count to eighteen?" She remarked sarcastically. "You said 'her' Tim. Are you sure that the legend was gender specific?" Tim nodded. "I created an extensive linguistic database based on word associations to their drawings."

Laura's eyes narrowed. "Why Tim, I had no idea that you were such a cunning linguist." She quipped. Naturally, Tim completely missed her crude remark, instead continuing with his lecture. "The prophecy happens to coincide with your eighteenth birthday, based on the full moon, called a harvest moon, for it's late autumn appearance." The boy genius informed her.

By now Laura had removed her cheesy mask and plopped comfortably down in the family recliner. She considered his words. "You're positive that you're not just adding some interesting spin to the Tekamah stories?" Tim nodded. "There are specific patterns to their illustrations. They speak allegorically, like 'woman' is referred to as 'the spring of life'. Because women bear children."

"Upon the spirit of night, she leads the hunt, the spring of life will return on her score harvest season." Tim quoted. "Huh?" Laura didn't follow. "Therefore, that translates as 'the spirit of night leads the hunt' which refers to a full moon making it easier for the warriors to hunt at night, catching their prey by surprise." Laura got that part. "Okay, that sort of makes sense." She admitted.

"The spring of life will return on her score harvest season' refers to a specific number of years, or harvest seasons. 'Score' is a word the Tekamah picked up from the early explorers and colonists. In their limited numeration skills, a score was eighteen years, which was about how long it took them to plant, grow, and harvest an acre or two of farmland, and replenish the soil." Tim informed her.

"All right. What makes you think that I'm the 'spring of life' savior? The Tekamah are basically extinct in these parts, aren't they? So I didn't save them from anything." Laura assessed logically. "They could've been referring to the golden Loracite deposits at the base of Comet Creek, and along the floor of Crater Lake." She added.

Tim disagreed. "Remember, the Tekamah called the creek and lake 'bad medicine', so it would've been the opposite of a savior for them." Laura sighed. "I guess we'll never know." Tim shrugged. "It's just a concept. How did your travels to Smallville go? Did you hook up with young Kent?"

"Yeah, Kent's good people, but I got on the wrong side of his girlfriend." Laura admitted sullenly. Tim's eyes lit up 'hope springs eternal' ran through his computer speeded mind. "Girlfriend, eh? Do I sense an air of rejection, my turbo teen superhero?" Laura nodded. "Yes. Kent's hooked up with a reporter lady from the Daily Planet, Lois Lane."

"Bummer, my sweet! I can relate, being an expert on rejection." Tim tried to sympathize with her. "Thanks Tim, but I'm a big girl. This does leave an opening for the Homecoming Dance, though." Laura grumbled. "I would be honored to accompany you." Tim made an exaggerated bow.

Laura grinned. "Thank you, sir. We could always blow off that lame tribute to steroid sucking jocks and their vapid vixen cheerleaders, and slam some major 'Guitar Hero' jams." She suggested. "Dude! You rock!" Tim quipped, giving her the 'horns up' sign. Laura got up and hugged him.

"What would I do without you, Tim-Ster?" She smiled brightly. "Let's hope that you never find out." He countered playfully. "Falcon Claw High will never be the same after I show up there Monday, in full 'Gold Wing' attire!" Laura boasted. Tim laughed. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Wouldn't I? Tim, some advice, never dare a woman scorned!" She joked. "This lame ass backwater cow pasture community needs a good shot in the arm!" She added, comically. "I may have a better idea, my queen of chaos. Why not show up in Gold Wing regalia at the Homecoming Dance? We can still have our Guitar Hero weekend, and wreak pleasant havoc on the town."

"I like it!" Laura and Tim did the fist bump. "We can't break any laws, no one gets hurt, just prank the dance, and punk the kids, especially the jocks and cheerleaders." Tim nodded. "Agreed. I will put my considerable talents to use, crafting an appropriate set of pranks and special effects." Laura laughed heartily. "I know you will."

The two young troublemakers began plotting their playful assault on the Homecoming Dance. They had nearly a month to plan their chaos. For now, Tim investigated the Tekamah cave writings further. Laura's attention span was beginning to wane. She yawned, stretching leisurely.

"Tim, I'm getting tired!" Laura exclaimed. The computer genius glanced up from his laptop. "Really? So you do have some limits!" He commented. "Yes." Laura affirmed happily. "This means that I'm not a total freak after all. When the Loracite runs out, so do my powers!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Laura. We still don't know what a complete Loracite shutdown would do to your system." Tim mentioned. "True, but now I can 'come down' so to speak when I want to, at least to a certain point, I can remain human. This is great news!" She yawned again.

"Yes it is, my super heroine." Tim smiled until something in the Tekamah transcripts caught his eye. "Hello! What's this?" He reread the passage. Laura was alert and awaiting his explanation. "The Prophecy of the One." Tim parroted. "The one what?" Laura sat up and glanced over his shoulder.

"The One, the true leader of our people will emerge. She will wrest our land from the pink eyes!" Tim continued. "Wait a minute, wrest our land? I seriously doubt that the Tekamah could have pronounced it quite that way." Laura scoffed. "Pink eyes? I assume they meant palefaces."

"I agree. It is conceivable though, that someone educated added that phrasing in the Tekamah wall scrawls, perhaps around the Seventeenth Century." Tim analyzed. "The Golden Walls will tumble down revealing the true nature of the beast." He read another passage.

"That doesn't sound good." Laura remarked. "The beast could refer to a demon." Tim guessed. "Back then, the Church had a lot of power over the natives, trying to convert the so-called 'savages' to their religion. It stands to reason that some of the Tekamah became educated before they vanished."

"The Golden Walls would likely be the Loracite in the caves which had cascaded down the walls and into the center, creating the source for Comet Creek." Laura followed his logic. "Very good, Laura."  
Tim praised. "I suppose it could just be ancient paranoia. Most cultures do have some concept of good and evil, such as devils and angels, and the like."

"I'm actually more interested in your Clark Kent." Tim changed the subject. "You want me to fix you two up?" Laura taunted. "You'd get lost in his baby blue eyes." Tim flushed. "Uh, no Laura, that's not my game. I meant what about Kent's powers? Where did he get them?"

"He said he was born with them, that's about it." Laura hedged. "The Man of Steel isn't big on explanation, information, or communication." Tim wouldn't be swayed. "He talked to you, didn't he?" Laura nodded. "But I spoke the language of love." She laughed, thoroughly amusing herself.

"You said his girlfriend was Lois Lane, the reporter from the Metropolis Daily Planet?" Tim grilled, depressing Laura further. "Yes Tim." She replied coldly. "You do realize that he's the mysterious red and blue blur, don't you?" Tim added. "What are you talking about?" Laura huffed.

Tim showed her a recent story on line in the Daily website. "Red and Blue Blur Saves Three Children in Bus Accident, by Lois Lane." Laura read aloud. "That snake!" She scowled. "He gave me a speech about 'with great power comes great responsibility', and there he is plastered across the Net. At least they didn't get a good photo of him."

"Meanwhile, let's work on our Homecoming plan." Tim suggested, as Laura nodded.


	3. Chapter 3: Gold Wing Strikes

_The Gold Wing Strikes:_ Chapter 3

PG 13

Over the next month, Laura and Tim suffered their daily abuse by the so-called 'cool people', and slowly bided their time. They expected that this was one Homecoming Dance that no one would ever forget. Putting both their talents together, the twisted teens were just about ready.

They were going to seriously screw with the school dance, however, they reassured each other that they wouldn't let it get out of hand. Ironically, Laura's eighteenth birthday was the day after the Saturday night festivities. This promised to be one heckuva celebration.

Two days before the dance, Tim and Laura snuck onto the Falcon Claw High Football Field. The team and the cheerleaders had just finished practice. In the darkness, no one picked out the two lone shadows creeping along the grandstand. The field lights had just been turned off. Laura knocked out the security cameras.

"Can I do anything to help?" Tim offered quietly. "Nope, Tim, this one's on me. Just sit back and watch." Laura replied, grinning evilly. The mischievous super hero zipped across the darkened field, grabbed a large metal trash bin, physically carried the five foot by five foot container, and subsequently dumped the bin and its contents in the middle of the field on the 50 yard line.

Tim snickered, as Laura went back to get another trash bin, and tossed it a good twenty feet upward onto the clubhouse roof. It clattered noisily, spilling its contents all across the roof and over the edge onto the parking lot entrance. It reeked. Laura wrinkled her nose as she sped back to Tim.

The troublemakers high-fived each other. "Phase one, complete!" Tim joked. The next night they snuck into the school itself. Laura quickly disabled the security cameras. Tim spiked the team's Gatorade with a mixture of hot sauce, horseradish, and black pepper.

Laura slunk through the darkened corridors. The football team was called the Falcon Claw Falcons, as written on a large hanging sign above the sports director's office. "Very original." Laura muttered, as she wrote with bright red lipstick across the sign: Death, Doom, and Destruction to All.

She chuckled, admiring her handiwork. Next she ventured into the girls' locker room. Thoroughly pleased with herself, Laura wrote in large red lipstick letters: I Know What You Did Last Night. Revenge! She giggled, heading next to the boys locker room.

She painstakingly wrote every cheerleader's home phone number on the walls above the urinals in the same red lipstick. Her sides began to hurt from laughing. She was thankful that she could still feel a little pain. Tomorrow, Laura would ingest one of the Loracite laced shakes to keep her strength up.

Tim was setting up the special effects for the dance. He'd created a life-sized animated monster, similar to a brown furred version of Carrie from Prom Night. The creature had been built with some robot parts he'd acquired on E Bay. It was unsophisticated, but coupled with the other effects would be fun. Tim installed the robot in the ceiling above the drama class stage.

With his jury-rigged remote control, it would drop down through a trap door, growling and shrieking. For added punch, he and Laura had splattered bright red paint all over the monster. Tim had rigged a slave circuit to the remote that would cause the sound system to malfunction, as well as turn off the lighting in the gym briefly. The flashing strobe lights he'd bought, would add to the confusion.  
Their good friend, Shana Springbrook, was also part of the plan, though she'd be an unwitting accomplice. Shana was a nice senior girl from the wealthier part of Falcon Claw. The area had been nicknamed Brat Flats. She was in most of Laura's classes and a few of Tim's.

Laura and Tim tended to attract all of the fringe students at Falcon Claw, all of the geeks, nerds, Goth Chicks, and Goth Guys, as well as any other self-proclaimed outsider. They formed a bond based on abusive jocks, cheerleaders, and just generally rude people.

At last count, Laura and Tim had over twenty 'followers'. Shana was a bit odd, though Laura and Tim both liked her as a friend. Shana was obsessed with the occult. The Brat Flat teen enjoyed horror movies, and films about witches, ghosts, and goblins.

Laura and Tim decided to punk poor Shana. They encouraged her to bring her favorite occult book, titled "The Grimoire and the Dark Arts." It was an alleged spell-casting book, supposedly written by some Wicca Cult or another. Laura tempted her friend to 'raise a demon' before the Homecoming dance. At first, Shana was skeptical, claiming that they were making fun of her.

Eventually they talked her into it. Shana complied, creating an elaborate séance. Laura and Tim joined hands with Shana, and she cast her spell. When nothing happened, Shana left, discouraged. It was still over a month until Halloween, so no one would be expecting their stunts.

"Phase two, complete!" Laura joked as she called Tim's cell phone.

The day of the dance, the Falcons played their archrivals, the Corn Huskers, and promptly lost the football game. The Lady Falcons, the cheerleaders, of course, brought the back up spiked Gatorade onto the field. Some drank Tim's concoction, vomiting frequently.

Laura and Tim were in the stands laughing hysterically. Brandi Meiser, the editor of the school paper, The Falcon Heart, noted Laura and Tim's amusement at the stricken cheerleaders and ballplayers. She would make it a point to investigate them later.

Shana had been chatting with her Goth friends, named P-Dawg, and Fox, about her alleged spell-casting adventure at the ballgame. They were quite impressed, vowing to hang out with Laura and Tim. Fox, a pretty brunette, with the traditional thick black eye makeup, black painted fingernails, and leather outfit complete with a silver chain, decided to meet the two troublemakers.

P-Dawg went along with her. Shana introduced them. Tim managed to talk the Goth kids into helping them prank the dance. Without sharing any details, Laura suggested that they all go in costume. P-Dawg offered to dress like a murdered teen, complete with a plastic 'bloody ax' taped to his chest.

Fox wouldn't be outdone, choosing to don a 'blood soaked' used wedding dress. Laura laughed  
appreciatively, and Shana and the Goth kids left. It was time to get started on the rest of their plan. At nightfall, Fox, P-Dawg, and a few others, toilet papered the entire school grounds, hanging the bathroom tissue from every tree and even 'decorated' the football field's goalposts.

Laura would bring her Gold Wing outfit along, beginning the night in a common black strapless dress, with black heels, and she made it a point to sport her 'cat glasses'. Tim wore a simple black polo shirt and black Dockers. Most of his involvement would be behind the scenes.

The jocks and cheerleaders arrived first, looking worn and haggard from the Gatorade incident. The average kids arrived next, and the Goths, through papering the grounds, would arrive in a typically late fashion. Shana wore a striking red dress, which Tim had to admit, made her look sexy. Shana's long, stringy, blonde hair draped over her bare shoulders.

Mike Trent, Laura's longtime friend and first schoolgirl crush arrived next, with Brandi Meiser on his arm. This gave Laura the extra incentive to prank the dance and punk the kids. She sauntered right up to Mike, giving him a surprise peck on the cheek in front of Brandi, who gave her a dirty look.

By now, Laura had ingested her Loracite drink and was at full superhero power. After some pleasant conversation with Mike, she decided that it was time to get the real party started. Laura excused herself, and Brandi gave her a sarcastic wave goodbye. "Good riddance." She said arrogantly. Mike chastised her. "Was that nice? I mean Laura was trying to be civil."

"Whatever, Mike." Brandi ignored him and turned her attention to the announcement of the Homecoming King and Queen. She'd have to cover it for the school paper, of course. Brandi left Mike alone at the table, and headed up front to grab some pictures of the selected couple.

Laura immediately zipped in behind Mike. She suddenly got in his face. "Mikey, would you like to dance?" He was hesitant at first. "I'm with Brandi." Laura dismissed him with a wave. "So? She'll be busy for a while…" Maybe a long while, Laura thought lustfully. "Okay." Mike gave in and led her to the dance floor. The next song was slow and Laura made it a point to dance closely with him.

Brandi was getting some preliminary shots of the King and Queen's court, the rest of the jocks and cheerleaders, naturally. The next song was fast, and Laura made an extra effort to dance sexy with Mike, occasionally grinding up against him, and shaking her booty big time. Tim watched her angrily, growing jealous over time. Still he had to admit, the girl could move.

Mike reddened as Brandi noticed the sexy moves. Laura had positioned them in the middle of the dance floor where everyone could see. Brandi was furious, snapping pictures rapidly, in a vain attempt to get back to Mike. The couple of choice surprised no one.

Brett Storm, the Falcons quarterback, and Karyn Warren, a cheerleader, had been named the winners, parading around the stage with their tacky crowns and scepters. It was about time for Laura and Tim to make their move. Tim edged away, heading behind the stage. No one noticed him. Laura excused herself, and pretended to go to the bathroom.

She'd cleverly hidden her Gold Wing costume, complete with mask, in a ceiling section above a stall in the washroom. She super sped the change, hiding her dress and shoes in the same spot. It was show time. Tim anxiously awaited the signal. Laura zipped up to the air conditioning control, and cranked it all the way down. It quickly grew cold in the crowded school auditorium.

Laura grabbed her other props. She zipped across the building, and returned with a large canister of whipped cream, a coconut cream pie, and a large, shaken bottle of soda. Using her blinding speed, Laura sprayed the whipped cream on Karyn's face, smashed the pie in Brandi's chest, and popped open the soda on Brett's suit.

No one saw her as she tipped over the punch bowl, spilling ice and sticky punch on the auditorium floor. At that moment, Tim released the monster. It dropped from the ceiling on cue, right in front of Karyn and Brandi. The girls screamed. The sound system went haywire, switching the pounding base into a series of amplified screams, shrieks, and howls. Kids began to run in every direction.

The moderators tried to restore order as the lights went off, and the strobe lights kicked on. The Goth kids laughed hysterically, soon getting into the spirit of the pranks. Fox and P-Dawg's friend, Rat, a cute red haired girl, grabbed the stage spotlight, and shone it on P-Dawg, who moaned and groaned as the supposedly bloody ax hung from his chest.

Fox screamed next, appearing in the spotlight with her blood soaked wedding dress. P-Dawg laughed heartily as the kids slipped on the ice cubes, punch, whipped cream, and coconut cream pie, falling over each other in a momentary panic. Laura noticed that, and didn't want the kids to get hurt. She picked up as many as she could with her hyper speed. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.

Rat's date, Connor, had sprinted to the cafeteria and returned with moldy cheese, and old vegetables. He handed them out to the other Goth kids. The emergency lights came on, and the jocks and cheerleaders began to file out, cursing vehemently. The moderators had almost restored order.

The dance was due to go on for another hour, but it was going to be cancelled by the school staff. Moans and groans accompanied some applause and laughter, as the rest of the kids began to leave. Laura had returned, clad in her black dress, smiling appreciatively as the Goth kids scattered.

Tim was about to join her, when he slipped and fell, colliding with Max, a linebacker for the football team. "Watch where you're going, geek!" He growled, shoving Tim backwards into a table. This was about to get ugly. "What's your problem, jerk?" Connor challenged Max.

"What's it to you, weirdo?" Max and Brett chorused. The jocks and cheerleaders were outside in the parking lot, watching the possible confrontation. Tim got up and followed P-Dawg and Rat outside. Fox was trailing them, still chuckling, as a teacher frowned at her.

The Goth kids and their friends lined the edge of the parking lot. "Fire!" Connor yelled. Immediately the Goths pelted the jocks and cheerleaders with the moldy cheese, vegetables, and small balls of mud. Laura hadn't expected this. She considered heading back in to get the Gold Wing outfit.

To her left, Mike and Brandi were about to be hit by vegetables. She zipped over and deflected some of the debris from Mike, and let a few clumps of mud pass her to hit Brandi. Max and Brett had cornered Tim. "That's the geek that started all this!" Max pointed Tim out.

Laura zipped back in and donned her Gold Wing getup. "I guess it's time for my coming out party." She mumbled, replacing the dress above the stall. Max was about to deck Tim, and Connor was ready to charge Brett and some of the other ballplayers. The cheerleaders hid behind the cars, as cheese, mud, and vegetables rained down on them. The Goths would run out of ammo soon.

"I might as well enjoy myself." Laura muttered as she zipped up to the roof in her Gold Wing outfit. The auditorium's roof peak was roughly three stories above the parking lot. Laura struck a menacing pose, making sure that the moonlight reflected off of her shiny leather costume.

"Hey, who's that?" Shana, of all people, spotted Laura on the roof peak, pointing in her direction. A few of the cheerleaders spotted her as well. The boys were too busy posturing, ready to start a brawl. Tim leaned back against a pick up truck as Max and one of the other jocks, Carl, advanced on him.

Laura somersaulted elegantly off the roof's peak, landing solidly and gracefully, smack in between the jocks and Tim. Max stared at her. "What the hell are you supposed to be?" He scoffed. "Your worst nightmare!" Laura threatened, disguising her voice as best she could. "Cool!" Fox remarked.

The Goths stopped pelting the others with garbage, deciding that a melee would be much more fun. "Pick on someone your own size!" Laura snarled as Carl took another step forward. "Thank God!" Tim exclaimed quietly, though Brandi had heard him. She cast him a puzzled glance.

"Are you a student at our school?" Traci, a more moderate cheerleader asked. "Do I look like a schoolgirl, genius?" Laura growled. Brandi was hurriedly wiping the cake and soda off of her digital camera, intent on getting a shot of the new arrival. "What're you doing here?" Brett queried.

"I was summoned here!" Laura forced her voice to remain deep and controlled. For effect, Laura slowly glanced at the group, making eye contact with whomever she could. She focused her gaze on Shana, who began to shudder. The Goths were suddenly silent, unsure of what to make of Laura.

Tim stifled a gasp as Carl smirked. "Let's take off her mask!" He advanced towards her. Max sneered. "Why stop there? Let's take off her clothes!" He took another step, falling just within Laura's reach. "You guys are pigs!" Brandi, of all people, defended Laura.

"Bring it, big boy…if you think you're man enough!" Laura challenged, clearly relishing her performance. With that, Max came in closer. Laura quickly grabbed him by the arm and tossed the two hundred plus pound linebacker over her shoulder with ease. She was careful, no sense in severely injuring the oaf, especially since the Falcons had another ballgame next week.

Max crashed into the open garbage bin, spraying foul smelling debris in every direction. Carl stopped his move, but it was too late. Laura, using purely speed, grabbed the linebacker's arm, and twisted it behind his back. She spun him around, and kicked him square in the buttocks!

Carl flew forward into a couple of the other jocks, and eventually into the side of an SUV, instantly activating its alarm. "Anyone else want a piece of me?" Laura shouted at the crowd. The silence was deafening. Brandi finally snapped a photo of Laura, first from behind, then as she turned.

"Do you want an autograph, too, kitten?" Laura asked Brandi sarcastically, frowning at the overzealous school paper reporter. "Nope." Brandi gulped. Sirens began to wail in the distance. Someone had called the police. Laura faced the stunned crowd.

"You'll be showing each other a lot more respect from now on!" Laura spoke toughly and loudly. "If you don't, I'll hear about it, and return. I have spies everywhere, including your pathetic high school." She let her speech sink in. A few of the average kids nodded their heads in agreement.

Tim was busy sneaking away, deciding that now was as good a time as any for a retreat. Laura made a show of bending her knees, and vaulting straight upward, landing back on the roof's peak. In the background she heard murmurs, wows, and some stray applause as the kids scattered.  
Brandi and Mike remained, as well as Shana. The Goths had split up, heading for their cars and motorcycles. Laura hung out on the roof for a few minutes chuckling. This had been the most fun she'd had in years. Though she could just picture Clark, giving her a stern lecture.

Laura admitted that nearly inciting a riot was not a particularly smart thing for a young superhero to do. Some of the kids, including Tim, could've gotten hurt, she mused. Still, Gold Wing had to make an appearance; Laura rationalized, thinking of herself in the third person for the first time.

Laura zipped back into her regular clothes, gathered her Gold Wing outfit, and quickly disassembled Tim's special effects show. By the time she'd finished, Tim was calling her cell phone.


	4. Chapter 4: Duality

Gold Wing

"Laura, thanks for coming to my rescue." Tim stated, out of breath from all the excitement. "No problem, Tim. You're Gold Wing's first official save." She joked. "Remind me never to do that again!" He countered. "Yeah, things did get a little out of hand, didn't they?" She agreed.

"At least everyone will remember that dance!" Tim quipped. "That they will." Laura was a bit down after all the fun. "I was really scared, Laura." He added. "I thought that not only those Neanderthals would pummel me, but that we'd get suspended or expelled."

"Fear not, Tim-Ster!" Laura began playfully. "I gathered all of our stuff, and I'm storing it in my Aunt Wanda's barn. No evidence…other than what that rag, Brandi did. She just had to take my picture!" She grumbled. "Now that I've 'outed' Gold Wing, it would be nice to follow up with something at school. Nothing destructive, just some way to keep in contact with the kids."

"I'll sleep on it, Laura!" Tim yawned. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

_Divided Loyalties:_

Laura tumbled out of bed and used her super speed to get ready for the day. After their successful prank at the Homecoming Dance, and the subsequent introduction of Gold Wing, Tim and Laura had turned their attention back to studying the mysterious Tekamah Caves and the free flowing Loracite within it.

One of the writings from the cave seemed to stick out in Laura's mind: 'Golden Walls tumble to reveal the true nature of the Beast.' She considered as many possibilities as she could for its meaning. Maybe there was an unseen entrance to an antechamber, she wondered with dramatic flair.

'The nature of the Beast' was particularly disturbing to the slick young superhero. Was it a heralding of something evil, or just ancient culture paranoia? The only way for her to determine that was to investigate the caves again, more thoroughly, and without Tim's help.

She was certain that he would've attempted to talk her out of it. Asserting herself and her new identity was paramount. Tim was after all, powerless, and as such, vulnerable. Laura decided that she would indeed choose the path of duality for her future, much like Clark and Kara Kent did.

Laura was one person, split down the middle. She would balance being normal and exceptional, calm, cool, and collected versus fiery and passionate, or would her personality be split evenly between good and evil? Every hero needed to start somewhere.

Laura chose Rex Rowland as her permanent foil. His evil empire would be brought down before her for judgment. The tough part for Laura would be straddling the line between legal and illegal activities, as Clark Kent had recently pointed out to her.

Further complicating the conundrum was the fact that up until now, she'd had no money to draw from, or a real job. Graduation from Falcon Claw High was rapidly approaching. Within a month or so, Laura would be forced to enter the real world.

On her eighteenth birthday, just last week in fact, Laura inherited her deceased family's estate. Financially speaking, the Lakes didn't have much to offer. Yet they had planned for Laura's future.

Her unfortunate parents had left her enough money in a trust fund to buy an old, fixer upper type of house, and some extra money for college. Laura would have to make the most of what she had.

For now, her immediate focus was on Senior Prom. Tim had called it a tired and mostly useless ritual, but Laura reminded him that it was an important form of a young adult's socialization. On a whim, Laura decided to check up on her old schoolgirl crush, Michael Trent.

Two weeks from now, the Senior Prom would kick off with a ring ceremony, and of course, Laura hadn't a date. Tim had made her an offer, and she'd politely declined, assuming that the two of them would end up at the dance together anyway, as singles.

Laura considered just placing her own name on the prom bid, but that would automatically peg her as a loser. She was getting frustrated with the current social morays, and frankly couldn't wait to get out of high school and into the real world. In the end she bid on the invitation: 'Laura Lake plus one'.

Laura saddled up her favorite horse, Lacey, a dark brown, tan, and white mare. Aunt Wanda had saved Lacey and three other horses from the glue factory, by adopting the expensive animals. They were all former racehorses that the county had decided to put down for no apparent good reason.

According to the powers that be, the horses had been scheduled for termination 'for budgetary reasons'. Aunt Wanda would have none of that! Laura led Lacey down the well worn, sandy horse paths leading away from the inner town of Falcon Claw and into the truly rural agricultural areas. Soon they entered the Trent's property.

Laura was quite a picture, her long, raven black hair with the trademark golden yellow highlights, blowing in the wind as Lacey happily trotted towards the open road. Laura enjoyed her limited forays into horseback riding, finding it relaxing, and giving her the appearance of normality.

Laura rode slowly up the hilly access way, pulling up alongside the Trent's own corral. The cattle and horses were out feeding in the north pasture. Marian Trent calmly collected hen's eggs and straightened up when she'd heard Lacey's steady hoof beats. "Laura! It's so good to see you!" Marian exclaimed, smiling brightly. She set a basket of eggs on the edge of an old wooden corral post.

Laura deftly vaulted off of Lacey and tied the surprised horse up to another old wooden post nearby. She quickly hugged Marian and the older woman backed away. "My goodness! Look at you. you're all grown up! You've become a beautiful young woman! Muriel and Steve would be so proud."

"Thanks Mrs. Trent." Laura reddened at the compliment and mention of her deceased parents. "Now none of that, you'll call me Marian. We always thought of you as part of our family, though you and Michael have gone your separate ways." Marian sounded disappointed that Laura hadn't been around more, and hadn't been on Mike's list of recent female acquaintances.

"How're Mr. Trent and Mike doing?" Laura asked courteously. Marian wiped her hands on her jeans, and reached for the basket of eggs, accidentally knocking them off the post. Laura super sped past the woman to grab the egg basket before it hit the ground. "Well! Thank you!" Marian said gratefully.

"That's a whole couple of hours work that would've been lost!" She appreciatively took the basket from Laura's outstretched hand. "Why isn't Mike helping you?" Laura asked warily. "Oh trust me, he does a lot for us on the farm. We all have chores to do, and I'm no exception. Come in, we'll have some coffee or tea, or whatever you like. I'd offer you some of Jim's beer, but you're still underage."  
Marian's eyes sparkled as she teased Laura. "Ice tea will be just fine." The young superhero chuckled. Laura followed the older woman into the house unsure of what exactly to discuss. "What brings you out here to visit?" Marian asked as she placed the eggs on the kitchen counter.

"Uh…I'm not sure." Laura admitted sheepishly. "I was out riding and thought that it would be nice to see you." Marian snickered. "Uh huh. You mean check up on Michael!" She guessed, embarrassing Laura. "Oh, I'm sorry! That was uncalled for." Marian apologized. "No, that's all right. How is he doing?" Laura asked worriedly. Marian smiled again. "It's been difficult."

"Difficult? How so?" Laura was very curious now. "As far as I know, Mike's grades are good and he's pretty popular with the school kids." Marian nodded. "Yes, but he keeps to himself a lot like something's bothering him." Laura was truly worried now. "Have you guys talked about it?"

"Every so often, Jim and I will sit him down for a talk." Marian began, but Laura could tell that she was holding something back. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business." Laura backpedaled. "No, that's fine. Maybe if you could go talk to him?" Marian asked, half pleading.

Laura's super powered heart began pounding loudly. What had gotten her old elementary school best friend messed up? She wondered silently. Drugs? Drinking? Fights? None of that seemed to be linked to Mike's personality as she remembered it, but then again, by now they were practically strangers.

"Sure. I'll have a talk with him." Laura volunteered bravely. "That doesn't mean he'll tell me anything." She qualified. Marian laughed. "Yep! The male ego! Jim and Mike are very much alike, stubborn, silent, and somehow always manage to come down with selective hearing loss when I want them to do something!" Marian quipped, cracking Laura up.

Laura spied a couple of photos of Mike on the family's fireplace mantle. Mike had his arm around some blonde, blue-eyed babe. Laura rolled her eyes. "Ashley Carrington!" She grumbled aloud. Marian followed Laura's gaze. "Yes that's Ashley, why?"

Laura sighed. "Nothing. It's just that she's…I mean I'm sure she's nice…" The teen faltered. Marian chuckled. "Yes, Ashley's nice, but not the sharpest tool in the shed." The older woman joked.

Laura cackled. "Exactly. Two words: Cheerleader, and brat." Marian laughed heartily. "I see you know her! She and Mike had been dating for over a year before she decided to 'pursue other options'" Marian said cattily. "I've got nothing against her, other than her limited attention span."

"Was Mike hurt by her?" Laura quelled a quick bit of rage rising within her. "Well, every breakup is hurtful, but most are usually for the best. It's all part of growing up. We all have to go through it." Marian added, sounding like she thought of Laura as a surrogate daughter.

"True." Laura agreed. "Moving on." She joked, glancing at a curiously familiar picture atop the family's hallway dresser. "Is this me?" Laura picked up the photo of a little brown haired girl sitting on the front hood of a bright red pickup. "Yes it is, Laura." Marian was somber. "That was the day after…" Laura gulped. "The day after my parents' murder." She finished.

"Yes." Marian admitted. "I'm sorry I brought it up." Laura felt that familiar kick in the stomach that she received every time she thought about it. She took a long sip of her ice tea. "No problem. Aunt Wanda told me all about it when she figured that I was old enough." Marian shook her head.

"They were our very best friends."

"I know." Laura rubbed Mrs. Trent's shoulder. "I swear to you that one day that case will be solved, and justice will be served." Laura promised, suddenly having difficulty controlling her anger. Mrs. Trent nodded. "I believe that as well, Laura. Even if the murderers receive their due in hell."

"Aunt Wanda, and most recently, my friend Clark Kent, said that we can't dwell on the past, only move forward." Laura regained her composure. "Anyway, is Mike around?" Marian nodded, and pointed to the barn loft next to the corral. "A barn loft? Déjà vu!" Laura muttered as Mrs. Trent cast her a sidelong glance.

"Men marking their territory!" Marian joked. "The boys needed their neutral corners to retreat to, and it affords everyone a measure of privacy." Laura grinned. "I'll go and see him. Thanks for the tea. It hit the spot." Laura hugged Marian and she left the house and headed nervously towards the barn loft.

"Mikey! This is a voice from your past!" Laura called into the dimly lit barn. "Girl alert!" She walked over to the recently repaired ladder, which led up into the makeshift hideaway. "Mike? It's Laura Lake!" She climbed the stairway and stood within the sparsely carpeted platform area.

A tall stocky figure moved out of the shadows and nearer to the light. "Laura?" The teen superhero instinctively whirled to face him. "What're you doing here?" Mike asked, completely puzzled. "Geez Mikey! You scared the crap out of me! Were you sleeping, or should I ask what you were doing?"

"Nothing really." Mike answered as he stalked around Laura. "Just thinking." He gazed appraisingly at Laura's slim, curvy physique, finally making eye contact after getting an eyeful. Laura rounded him, equally checking out his muscular appearance and squared, clean-cut jaw.

"You look great." Mike praised. "Uh…thanks. You're not too bad yourself. Been working out?" Lame! Lame! Laura chided herself. Mike blushed, a good sign. "Well, you know, I'd been playing on the football team, and sometimes the soccer and baseball teams, plus all the farm work."

"Yeah, about that." Laura began cautiously. "How're things going?" Mike closed in on Laura, and now they were both in the hazy sunlight. "Okay, I guess." Mike hedged, obviously having difficulty expressing anything. "Are you seeing anyone?" Laura spoke before she thought it through.

"Huh?" Mike was surprised by her unintended directness. "Actually no. Ashley and I broke up earlier in the year." He answered honestly. "How about you?" Laura reddened. She hadn't intended to go down this rode of conversation. "No, I'm more or less happily unattached!" Laura replied. Lame! Loser! She continued to berate her mental processes.

"What have you been up to?" Mike tried to pull back out of the awkward conversation. "This and that. I've been traveling…a lot." Laura forced a discussion. "Where to?" Mike gestured for her to take a seat. She took a deep breath and settled on the old, squeaky couch he'd placed near the window.

"I've been over to Smallville…" Laura began, wondering where this might lead them. Mike brushed a falling sandy brown swath of hair from above his eyes. "Smallville? Where's that?" He inquired. "In Central Kansas." Laura replied. "It's near Metropolis." Mike nodded absently. "What's up there?"

"I was seeing this guy, Clark Kent." She stretched the truth just a bit. "Oh." Mike looked away clearly uncomfortable with this line of discussion. "That's a long way to go for a date, isn't it?"

He queried logically. Laura flushed. "Yeah, well there's more to do out there than anywhere around here."

"That's cool." Mike was glad to be changing the subject. "How's your Aunt Wanda?" Laura shrugged "Doing well." There was a brief silence while Laura gathered her courage. "Mike, this is our last year at Falcon Claw High." She gulped before continuing. "We should enjoy our friends' company while we can before we face the big cruel world." Laura tried not to be obvious that she was hinting.

Mike slowly caught on. "Are you going to Senior Prom?" Laura's heart jumped. "I put a bid in. I figure that I could always go stag…I mean it's all about our classmates…" Mike steeled his resolve. "Has anyone asked you yet?" Laura reddened. "Yeah, a couple of guys…" Namely Tim, she rebuked herself. "I haven't decided yet." Mike took a deep breath. "Would you go with me?"

Laura was silent. She really hadn't expected to be getting this kind of result…or did she? Mike waited patiently for her answer. "Just as friends?" He tried to smooth it over. Laura was a bit disappointed, but at least she was getting somewhere. "Uh sure. Thanks. I'd like that." She finally smiled.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief. Now all Laura had to do was keep the other girls at bay that might be looking to Mike as a last resort date. "Great!" Mike said positively and hugged her. Laura had to admit that it felt good to be in his arms. Clark, I guess you missed the boat this time, she mentally noted. After all, she still had Lois to deal with anyway.


	5. Chapter 5: Discovery Cave

Cave of Discovery:

_Things usually happen for a reason…_

Laura left Mike to his chores, and suddenly felt like something was drawing her away from the farm. Could these be Loracite withdrawal symptoms? She reasoned. Unsure of how she felt about that, Laura rode Lacey towards the Tekamah caves.

As she drew nearer, Lacey became skittish, whinnying loudly. Finally, Laura decided to tie her pet thoroughbred to a strong oak tree next to a leafy grove with low hanging foliage, and light green, tender new grasses for Lacey to munch on.

After Laura dismounted, she carefully walked into the caves and examined the drawings more closely. She shone the beam from her kryptonite flashlight across the area.

Locating the pictures relating to the Nature of the Beast writings, she noted that the Loracite stream flowed freely down the cave's center. Laura traced its flow back to its nearest source. There was a hole, roughly three feet up the wall from the cave's floor.

It seemed odd to her that the Loracite infused mineral water poured into the cave through this hole, which appeared to be perfectly circular. Was the hole manmade? She wondered silently. The hole acted predominantly as a spout, spewing the yellowish gold liquid into the cave at quite a clip. Could this be the 'Spring of Life' referred to in the Tekamah writings? Laura mused.

Perhaps it was an ancient form of sewer or aqua duct for farming? Laura speculated. The sewer part of her theory she could do without, wrinkling her nose at the notion. She gazed at the setup thoughtfully, rubbing her thin chin.

After a quick check to be sure that no one was around, Laura punched a secondary hole in the wall about three feet from the makeshift spout.

Sure enough, the area behind the spout was hollow, leading to another antechamber. Musty, moldy air hissed out of the fist-sized hole she created. Laura slowly tore the rocks apart, revealing an entrance into the hidden chamber large enough for her to walk through.

Laura checked the antechamber's ceiling, worried about a possible cave in, and it looked sturdy enough to her. The alterations hadn't interfered with the cave's ecological balance, as the Loracite still streamed steadily into the cave's center.

Laura ducked slightly as she ventured into the hollowed out antechamber. It was roughly the size of a two-car garage, and the ceiling was just high enough for a full gown human to walk beneath. Wearing the riding boots, young Laura topped out at about six feet. The cave ceiling was barely more than that.

Immediately Laura aimed her flashlight towards the Loracite stream. Its greenish hued beam played off a large object placed against one chamber wall. The light reflected back to her off a shiny golden surface. The stream was actually dumping its yellowish liquid into the center of the chamber.

To her surprise, the Loracite stream had been pouring out of the large, exaggerated mouth of a golden six-foot idol. Laura gulped, aware of the fact that she was likely the first person to view the image in at least a couple of hundred years. She quickly examined the ancient artifact.  
Laura attempted to ascertain what the idol represented. Admittedly, she was no expert, but she could never recall seeing this exact type of statue anywhere. Its head was misshapen and elongated. The creature's jaw jutted outward, acting as a spout for the Loracite stream.

Laura's best guess was that the image could be compared to a golden winged gargoyle, or type of crocodile and human hybrid roughly similar to statues of Egyptian Gods that she'd seen on the Internet. The idol seemed more fitting to the style of early Native American Indian tribes, but much larger than she'd ever seen in history books.

Tim would likely know better than she, and could probably place the idol's age. For all she knew, the Incan, Aztec, or Mayan cultures could have carved the idol from solid gold. To them, gold was meaningless, simply a shiny form of rock. Laura knew one thing for certain…she'd just become rich!

Laura smirked, remembering that she wasn't all that concerned about having money, but still, a girl had to make some income, there were fashion accessories to consider, not to mention financing her whole Gold Wing persona. The sad reality was that money made the world go round.

Laura speculated that the idol could have been created by the ancient Tekamah tribes, but was amazed that no one had yet located the antechamber and the Loracite deposits. Now that she'd opened up the hidden chamber, she'd have to move quickly to remove the idol before someone else found it.

Laura carefully touched the idol, and it was definitely made of gold. She also noted that there was a discolored ring around the idol's throat which gave the impression that a piece was missing. Moving the idol wouldn't be an issue for her and her superior strength. She guessed that it would take two or three normal humans to carry the idol away. The idea was to do it before anyone else could.

After she relocated the idol it would be a simple matter to replace the creature's spewing spout with some six-inch copper piping, which would ensure the continuous flow of the Loracite stream. Laura examined the duct work as a whole. Someone had painstakingly built a large circular gutter made of polished stone, which led from behind the idol and into the cave wall.

She would have to verify it with Tim, but the duct work should lead through the cave and at some point drop below ground level, as it emptied into Crater Lake.

Meanwhile, the duct work would lift the stream of Loracite minerals up into the caves, and back down the small rocky knoll into Comet Creek.

It could be acting like a primitive circulator pump, running the common, unpurified water through the yellow mineral deposits and releasing the Loracite infused mineral water back into the creek, Laura postulated. In that way, it resembled a type of pump one might use in an outdoor decorative fountain.

Logically, Laura thought, Crater Lake's bed would have accumulated a large, possibly infinite, supply of Loracite minerals. The Loracite would therefore pile up at the deepest point of Crater Lake, likely near its center. Laura smiled brightly. I would have an infinite power supply.

The only fly in the ointment of her theory was how much the Crater Lake basin Loracite minerals had been diluted. Would they still be powerful enough to give her an amp up? That would also explain why no one in the vicinity, as far as she knew, had developed super abilities.

Laura returned her attention to the idol. Removing it wouldn't be an issue, explaining where it had come from, would be. Either way, she couldn't take it today, having ridden Lacey to the semi-deserted creek side. She gazed down at the idol and smirked.

The image was decidedly male, she chuckled quietly, examining where the male idol's arms were pointing. Someone had carved the idol purposely with its hands extended before it, similar to a person offering another a hug. It wings pointed straight up and back, and contained highly detailed feathers made of slices of gold leaf. The person or people that created it were very talented, she mused.

Laura wondered if the idol was truly real, or was it worth very little, only valuable as a passing curiosity for a local historian. She brushed some of the residue away from the idol's base. It had a series of hieroglyphs encircling its large bare feet. She also caught a glint of something partially buried in the muddy Loracite residue. She scooped it up, finding a good-sized gold leaf necklace.

Laura guessed that it was the missing piece from the male idol's throat decoration. She rubbed the muck off of it, finding a turquoise colored gem about three inches in diameter set in a golden facet. She attempted to replace it on the idol's throat piece, but the clasps were deteriorated and broken.

It looks like I'll have to have some repairs done to get the full value of the idol. Laura thought, pocketing the amulet. She bent down to examine the hieroglyphs, and found that the language matched the rest of the wall writings within the caves.

Cleaning it up further, Laura recalled the phrasing of the newly discovered language, and began to decipher it. She read aloud: "From the breasts…" She chuckled, double checking her translation and began again. "From the breasts of Amphitara, you'll find what you seek." Laura reread the base, and found that she'd translated it correctly the first time.

"Amphitara? That almost sounds Greek." She muttered, her gaze following the direction that the idol's arms indicated. Directly across from her was another idol! She quickly shone the kryptonite flashlight beam upon it. Laura smiled broadly. "This is my lucky day!" She voiced aloud.

Laura vaulted sideways over the Loracite stream, landing gracefully on the rocky crags that partially hid the artifact from view. The idol was golden, winged, slightly smaller than the other, and was obviously female. "Bingo! Amphitara, I presume!" She joked.

Lodged between Amphitara's breasts was a similar amulet to the one she'd pocketed, complete with the three inch turquoise, center placed gem. Laura rubbed her hands together. The excited young explorer checked the ground below the female image, brushing off more muck-ridden residue.

The hieroglyphs were written in a similar pattern encircling the idol's base. Laura quickly translated the phrasing. "The Spring of life…" Laura rechecked the wording. "The Spring of Life pours forth through Andideron, a gift from the Gods." She read aloud. "That doesn't help me much." Amphitara's arms were extended before her, presumably to welcome Andideron.

Laura continued to brush debris from the golden idol's image. Amphitara's face was that of a typically beautiful young woman, wrinkle free, slightly rounded, with a narrow nose, thin chin, and huge black eyes. She was much easier on the eyes than her male companion, Laura mused.

She thoroughly investigated the female idol, but could find no more hieroglyphs. Amphitara's wings were carved differently, but of the same feathered, gold leaf variety. Finally Laura examined the amulet, and carefully unclasped the decorative chain, placing one slim hand on Amphitara's breast as she removed the amulet she snickered. "Pardon me, Miss."

Laura seemed to feel a slight vibration from the amulet, but chose to ignore it for the moment. After cleaning Amphitara up a bit more, she untangled the amulet's gold leaf chain, and placed it over her own neck. It dangled down the front of her light blue flannel shirt.

She placed it beneath her shirt, muttering, "I hope I don't get anything germy from the thing." Laura flashed her light across the rest of the antechamber checking for more idols, but found none. The greenish hued beam played across another section of the cave wall, and something else caught her eye. It resembled a primitive pulley and gear set up. "Hello? What's this?"

Laura super-sped over to the rear wall. Sure enough, the antiquated mechanism appeared to be part of a system for moving something, but what? Laura pondered.  
Laura decided not to explore any further cave mysteries for today, given the fact that Lacey was probably growing impatient, awaiting her return. She hyper-sped throughout the antechamber, gathering dozens of small boulders and fractured stalagmites to block the entrance to the hidden area containing the golden idols.

After completing that, she ventured back out into the brisk winds and sunny, cloudless skies of the Nebraska plains. Lacey was indeed agitated, finally settling down as Laura approached. She untied her pet mare, and saddled her up again, trotting off back toward the main roads.

Laura rode on, attempting to mentally digest all that had occurred today from Mike asking her to prom, to discovering the antechamber, golden idols, and turquoise amulets. She wondered whether in some mythological kingdom Amphitara and Andideron were lovers.

In any event, by this time tomorrow, they'd be in her possession. The question was how to conceal the allegedly valuable pieces from her Aunt Wanda and other prying eyes. Lacey trotted happily along, glad to be returning home to the safety and security of her corral.

Laura's first step was to contact Tim Servo. There was a lot to discuss. After securing Lacey in the barn with the other horses, she checked her cell phone and E mail messages. Predictably, Tim had phoned twice while she was inside the antechamber. Apparently, the cell phone signal was blocked.

She flipped her phone on and punched up the speed dial, getting his voice mail. "Hey Tim, this is Laura, I'm back in town." In seconds, the boy genius had returned her call. "Hello, my spelunking sweetheart." Tim gushed, cracking Laura up. "You figured out that I was out of contact in the caves, I take it?" She probed. "Actually, I knew where you were by consulting my GPS." Tim admitted.

Laura's eyes narrowed. "You have me Lojacked? I don't think I like that, Tim-ster!" Tim was briefly silent. "I only wanted you to be available in case of an emergency." He weakly defended. "I mean what if we were attacked by terrorists, or worse?"

Laura sighed. "Fine, Tim, whatever!" The overprotective senior occasionally got on Laura's nerves, but its not as if she had many other friends to hang out with. "Anyway, I've got loads to tell you." Laura related the scene with Mrs. Trent and Mike, ending with him asking her to prom. Tim's heart broke, assuming that he would be going to the affair with his best friend and confidant.

"Tim?" Laura worried about the sudden silence of the usually chatty and overexcited teen genius. She hadn't considered his feelings when deciding to attend the prom with Mike. "I have to go, Laura." He suddenly cut her off dejectedly. "What? I've got more to tell you." She was slowly comprehending the position that she'd put herself in.

"I'm sure it'll keep." Tim began coldly. "No it won't. It's about my discoveries in the cave." Laura teased, hoping to retain his attention. "Very well, what about it?" Tim said without enthusiasm. She went into detail about her adventures. This seemed to cheer Tim up a bit. The only thing the young self-proclaimed geek valued more than Laura's company was a good mystery.

"You're wearing the turquoise amulets now?" Tim asked, as his curiosity took over. "Sure. You want to see them?" Laura fiddled with the gold leaf chain. "I suppose." Tim acquiesced. "Great. I'll check in with Aunt Wanda and be right over." Laura's tone indicated a high level of excitement.


	6. Chapter 6: Divisive

_Divisive:  
_  
Within minutes Laura knocked on Tim's door. "Hey Tim-Ster." She said cheerfully as Tim opened the door for her. He quickly turned his back, and sat down grumpily on the living room sofa. Laura took the hint, and tempered her enthusiasm. Still getting the silent treatment, Laura stepped before him, purposely blocking his vision of the television.

"See." Laura pulled the amulet out from beneath her shirt, which naturally garnered Tim's attention. She simultaneously showed him the other one that had been in her jeans pocket.

Silently, Tim wished that he were the amulet beneath Laura's shirt, and struggled to keep his pouting, poker face in tact. He resisted his usual urge to smirk lustily. "Pretty. Are you going to sell them on E-Bay?" Tim said sarcastically.

"No!" Laura snapped, realizing that Tim was purposely giving her some grief. "I think I've figured out the whole process behind the Loracite stream." She announced.

"Really?" Tim was skeptical. "This nugget of wisdom suddenly popped into your head?" Laura was starting to get pissed at Tim's cynical, petulant attitude. She quickly reminded herself that Tim, as smart as he is, was at heart, a typical teenage boy. Laura forced her anger to calm.

"Tim, about the prom…" Laura softened her tone. The boy genius put his hands up in resignation. "I'm not worried about it! The prom is a tired, expensive, sadistic ritual that is sadly a part of every adolescent's life. I'll get over it, truly I will." Laura sighed in disgust.

Another idea jumped into her devious head. "Tim, listen to me. Why don't you ask Kara to the prom?" Laura put it out there, throwing it against the wall to see if the idea would stick. "Me? You mean ask Kara 'space alien Barbie' Kent?" Tim was stunned, amazed that the thought hadn't occurred to him. "Yes. What's the worst that can happen? She'll say no? So what?" Laura instigated.

Tim's spirits perked up with the glimmer of hope. "Think about it, Tim. If she says no, you're no worse off than you are now, and you don't love her anyway, do you?" Laura pictured a set of devil's horns popping up on the sides of her head, as she encouraged him.

"No, that's true." Tim reasoned. "If she says yes, you'll be taking one of the hottest girls in the fifty states." Laura pitched. "I'm comfortable in my womanhood with saying that." She added playfully in an attempt to lighten her best friend's mood. "Plus, you have the added bonus of not getting your ass kicked by any of our remaining class bullies. Kara would never let that happen."

Tim cracked a smile. "Indeed. Laura, you have a future in sales, but I dare not get my hopes up. The buxom alien beauty may in fact, laugh in my face, further adding to my humiliation and misery." Laura shook her head. "No. Kara's not like that, either she'll go with you or she won't."

"It's worth taking a chance I suppose." Tim conceded. "Sure it is. Don't forget that I had no idea Mike would ask me to prom, though I sort of hinted around it. Sometimes, we have to just give it a shot." Laura continued. "For all I know, the prom could still be a cataclysmic disaster."

"I shall give it the old college try." Tim smiled broadly. Laura laughed, hugging Tim. "That's my boy genius!" She encouraged. "Aww! I'm telling mom!" A young female child's voice said from across the room. Laura spun on her heel to face a girl about eight years old, dressed in a blue jeans jumper, white tee shirt, and she was barefoot, carrying a slightly beat up doll.

"Hi there." Laura smiled pleasantly. "Who's this?" Tim shrugged. "Behold Tammy Servo, the Antichrist, evil incarnate, my little sister." Tim exaggerated. "Tim! Shame on you! She's adorable! Hi sweetie, come here." Laura beamed as Tammy reluctantly sauntered over.

"I'm Laura Lake." She extended a hand, and the child took it, shifting her doll onto the other arm. "Tim, you never mentioned that you had a little sister!" Laura chastised him. "We don't talk about her much, the demon, Omen Three." Tim continued to taunt. "Tim! Stop it!" Laura lifted Tammy up and sat down, placing the child in her lap. "Who's this?" Laura pointed to the doll.

"That's vapid vixen Barbie." Tim answered cynically. "No! That's Executive Secretary Barbie." Tammy defended. Laura rolled her eyes. "It's too bad that I don't have a Gold Wing doll."

"You'll notice that Barbie's knees are dirty." Tim kept up his verbal assault, and sat down. Laura gave him a dirty look. "Tim! Enough!" She discouraged him from further comment. "You're pretty." Tammy praised Laura. "Awww! Thanks! So are you." She gave the child a gentle hug.

"Katie Carlton says that Barbie's gay." Tammy began, causing Laura to chuckle. "It must've come as quite a shock to Ken." Laura couldn't resist the remark. "Are you Timmy's girlfriend?"

Tammy probed, causing Tim to redden. "No, Tim and I are good friends, in fact we're BFF." Laura added.

Laura brushed Tammy's sandy brown hair from her big brown eyes. "Okay, 'cause Katie Carlton says that Timmy's gay." Tammy straightened her doll's outfit. Laura cracked up. "Well, maybe Katie Carlton's gay!" She quipped. "Nope, Katie Carlton's a dork." Tammy contributed. "That she is." Laura agreed playfully. "Tammy, how'd you like some more dolls?" Laura asked.

"Okay, why? Aren't you playing with them anymore?" Tammy questioned. "No, I don't have time now that I'm grown up. The dolls need to be played with, I'll bring them next time, okay?" Laura offered. ""kay." Tammy rested briefly against Laura's pilfered necklace.

"Tamara Jane! What do we say when someone offers us a gift?" Mrs. Janet Servo said as she entered the room. "Oh yeah. Thank you." Tammy hugged Laura, again brushing against the necklace. "You're welcome." The turbo-charged teen replied. "TJ! That room of yours won't clean itself." Tim's mother hinted. "Gotta go! Thanks Laura!" Tammy climbed out of Laura's lap and bounded off.

Mrs. Servo edged into the living room, curiosity about Laura getting the best of her. "Laura, isn't it?" She remembered from their brief earlier meeting. "Yes, Hi Mrs. Servo. Cute kid. What happened to Tim?" She smiled, making sure that Mrs. Servo knew that she was kidding.

"Nice!" Tim groused as Mrs. Servo chuckled. "Would you kids like some ice tea?" she offered. "Sure, thanks Mrs. Servo." Laura replied cordially. His mother exited briefly. "Seriously dude, you should ask Kara. It'll be fun. Besides, I'm not too keen on spending the entire evening alone with Mike. I mean I like him, but I hardly know him anymore. He almost seemed dark, moody."

Tim listened with interest to Laura's criticism. "As far as I know, Mr. Jock doesn't exhibit any antisocial behavior. I mean I'm far from an expert on psychoanalysis, but I've witnessed him dating that one cheerleader…" Laura interrupted. "Uh huh, Ashley Carrington."  
"Further, young Mr. Trent has attended most of his classes, engaged in some extracurricular activities, and doesn't have an arrest record." Tim spouted. "You had Mike investigated?" Laura was stunned. "Only in a purely legal sense. He's got a Face Book account, as well." Tim nodded.

Laura shook her head. "You are amazing." Tim sat back, thoroughly pleased with himself. "Anyway, back to my idols." She redirected. "Tomorrow, I'm going to pick them up and bring them to my Aunt Wanda's farm. Do you have any suggestions on how I can disguise and protect the artifacts?"

"I don't have any idea what their combined value would be, but to some extent, it doesn't matter. I want them." Laura stated confidently. "If they are pure gold, I may be able to sell them to a museum or something. If they have very little value, I can always use them to decorate my property."

"Your property?" Tim cocked his head at the unusual phrasing. "Yes. While I was riding Lacey, I spied an island near the center of Crater lake. I'd never seen it before, because the trail I used was different than usual. I skirted around a particularly ratty looking ravine, and there it was!"

Tim was immediately fascinated. "An island in the center of Crater Lake? That sounds intriguing. I assume that you want me to use my considerable cyber prowess to research said island, and see if it's available for purchase?" Laura nodded. "Exactly. I doubt if I can afford it, but you never know. It could be uninhabited, or in foreclosure. Plus it would be directly above my Loracite deposit!"

"I will put all available resources into it." Tim vowed. "Thanks Tim, I knew I could count on you. I'm sorry about the whole prom date thing, but seriously, its rather meaningless in the grand scheme of things." Laura finished as Mrs. Servo stepped back in.

"Did I hear you mention prom, Laura?" She echoed as Tim groaned. Mrs. Servo distributed the ice tea. "The woman has an uncanny superior hearing ability." Tim grumbled, referring to his mother. "Tim, you should know by now, that all mothers have that innate super ability." She remarked, cracking Laura up.


	7. Chapter 7: Kindred Spirits

_Kindred Spirits_:

Bright and early the next day, Laura returned to the Tekamah caves to claim her prizes, bringing with her the proper tools and supplies to construct a replacement circulation system for the Loracite. She quickly built a makeshift copper piping system, which let the Loracite flow freely into the cave.

Upon completing that, Laura carefully removed her prized idols. She super sped the antique icons back to Aunt Wanda's farm. She decided to store them in her barn loft, out of the elements, and in the dry, relative darkness of the barn. Certainly one day Aunt Wanda would see them, yet why worry about that now? Laura reasoned.

For decorative purposes, Laura placed the idols close to, and facing each other. She replaced the turquoise necklaces to get the full artistic effect. Immediately, Laura heard a loud buzzing sound.

The buzzing became a whine, and Laura was momentarily paralyzed! She had to use most of her superior physical strength to separate from the idols. Laura tumbled away as the whining became a screech, and the twin amulets began to glow bluish green.

Laura covered one ear as she yanked the idols apart from one another. Instantly, the noise stopped, and the amulets went back to their natural dormant state. Laura shook her head. "What on Earth?" This would definitely be a source of study for Tim, she vowed.

She faced the female idol towards the window. Just to be safe, Laura unclasped the amulet and put it around her own neck. She decided to experiment, slowly closing in on the male idol. The familiar buzzing sound began again as she got within ten feet of the crocodile headed Andideron.

She backed away and the buzzing ceased. "That's so weird." She muttered. I wonder if the idols function as a type of alarm? She mused silently. It could be based on the metal content of the two ancient images, but to what end?

Laura's experiments were interrupted by her cell phone ring tone. It was Mike Trent. She hurriedly answered, backing away from the two idols. "Hey Mike! What's up?" Laura had a sense of dread as she talked with him. _Was Mike backing out of their prom date_?

"Laura, are you busy right now?" Mike began slowly. "Not really. What's goin' on?" Laura asked reluctantly. "I was going to come over and hang for a while." Mike was testing the waters, Laura could tell. "Sure. I'll be here." Laura flushed, unsure of how she felt about Mike.

"Great, I'll see you in a few." Mike said. "G'bye." Laura brushed the Loracite deposit dust from her hands. I guess my toys will have to wait, she thought, and quickly zipped into the house for a shower. In moments, she was ready. Mike only lived a few miles away from her. They used to live next door to each other, before the Trents moved to a new plot of land west of Aunt Wanda's spread.

Laura had just enough time to warn Aunt Wanda and clean up the house, using her super speed behind her busy aunt's back. Mike's pickup pulled into the gravel driveway. Laura took a deep breath. Her nerves began to act up. _I'd rather be fighting a dozen criminals than getting all up tight about this_, she silently critiqued.

Mike rang the doorbell, and Laura answered, wearing a conservative yellow blouse and blue jeans. She'd traded the riding boots for some clean gym shoes. "Hi Mike, come on in." She smiled brightly, and tried not to put any more pressure on herself than normal.

Mike wore a tight, black shirt, blue jeans, and gym shoes. He had his short black hair parted down the middle, wearing the front in bangs. With flat shoes, Mike was a good six inches taller than Laura. He smiled thinly, as Aunt Wanda came in to investigate. "Hi Mike! You're all grown up!"

She grinned broadly and gave him a quick hug. "The last time I saw you, you could barely ride your bicycle!" Aunt Wanda gushed as Laura began to relax. After a few minutes, Aunt Wanda took the hint and left the young people alone. "So, what's new, Mike?" Laura began warily.

"Not too much, I was just wondering how your life's been going." Mike attempted to make conversation. "Have you been doing any traveling?" Laura smirked. "Oh here and there." She replied evasively. "How about you?" Mike shrugged. "Between school, the farm, and the lousy economy, we haven't really been able to get away for a vacation."

"Tell me about it." Laura agreed. Mike steeled his resolve. "Laura, have you been seeing Tim Servo?" He asked out of the blue. "No. Tim and I are good friends." She replied warily. "I was wondering…I mean he's pretty smart isn't he?" Mike fished.

"Yes." Laura was caught off guard. Tim was about the last thing she'd been expecting to discuss with Mike. "Actually, Tim is a borderline genius. Why?" Mike shifted uneasily. "Do you think that he'd be willing to help me?" Laura cocked her head. "Help you with your grades?" She guessed.

"No, my grades are fine." Mike sighed. "Can he help me find out who I am?" Laura's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "What do you mean? You've always been Mike Trent." Mike rubbed his thick jaw. "Yeah, but no one seems to know where I came from."

"Didn't you discuss this with James and Marion?" Laura was incredulous. Mike's foster parents had cared for him since he and Laura were five years old. "Yes, but they had no answers." Mike responded wistfully. "Okay, let's start at the beginning." Laura offered.

"All I know is that the day of the twin twisters…unfortunately, the same day your parents were killed…James and Marion found me wandering along the road." Mike continued. "I was covered in a slimy, yellowish liquid, though the rainstorm had begun to wash it off."

"We lived together, almost like brother and sister, for a few months until your Aunt Wanda sold her property up near Grandville and moved to Falcon Claw to take care of you."

Mike rubbed his reddening eyes. _Creepy! But true_. Laura silently recalled.

"James and Marion did all that they could to locate my birth parents, but had no luck, and no responses." Mike swallowed hard. "I'm sure that they did, Mike." Laura put her hand tenderly on Mike's shoulder.

"We all assumed that your parents had died in the twisters. It made sense that no one could…" Laura gulped. "Locate or identify any bodies."

"You were probably the only one to survive. I mean, by now, James and Marion had tested your DNA, correct?" Laura assumed. "The local hospital, Falcon Claw Medical Center would have had your blood type on file." Mike nodded absently. "They did. The nurses found something…"  
"Found something? Like what?" Laura asked worriedly. "Found what they called anomalies." Mike nearly choked on the word. "Anomalies? Care to elaborate? Like a disease or virus?" Laura was truly concerned about him. "You're not afraid of me?" Mike questioned.

"Afraid? No, should I be?" Laura prodded. "The nurses and doctors found unidentified material in my bloodstream." Mike sighed, expecting Laura to freak out. "That's not good." She commented. "Is it contagious, I mean the anomaly?" Mike shook his head. "No. It's what they called a genetic X factor." Laura was puzzled. This did sound more and more like a job for Tim.

"X factor?" Laura echoed. "Meaning that they don't know what caused it?" Mike nodded. "Exactly." Laura was more curious than scared. "So, has it affected you in any way?" She interrogated. "Not in a bad way." Mike replied vaguely. "I never get sick, I rarely get tired, I can eat and function normally in every way." Laura smirked, letting her perverse sense of humor take over.

"In every way, eh Mike?" She smiled brightly, teasing him. Mike was slow to pick up on her off color remark. "Uh…yeah, in every way!" He forced a thin grin. Laura let her comment hang in the air for effect. "I guess its nothing to worry about then." She reasoned hopefully.

"You're not going to freak out. are you?" Mike asked reluctantly. "No. Its not as if you're going to turn green and sprout wings, is it?" Laura tried to make light of the situation. "Not as far as I know." Mike dead panned playfully. He was much more relaxed now that he'd told Laura the truth.

"I don't see why your parents didn't call in a blood works specialist." Laura remarked logically. "We thought of that, but we didn't know what to ask for. The blood works are limited to searching for specific problems. Besides, our health insurance didn't cover anything like that." Mike said.

"I couldn't see spending my life as a guinea pig in some lab somewhere, being poked and prodded for all eternity." Mike commented. "Right there with you, buddy!" Laura smiled, mirroring her own situation. That made Laura start to wonder…had Mike been exposed to her Loracite?

"Hmm!" Laura rubbed her thin chin. "Mike, level with me." She interrogated. "Did you quit the basketball team over these anomalies?" He nodded confirmation. "Its kind of hard to explain." He hedged. "I just didn't fit in with the jocks all that much."

"I understand." Laura rubbed his back tenderly. "You do?" Mike was skeptical. "Yes, more than you could possibly imagine." Laura said as her heart beat faster. Was Mike somehow connected to her through the Loracite, or something else? Was it just that he'd taken steroids to try and fit in, and now thought better of it?

Laura hadn't felt comfortable asking him about all the sordid details. Instead she changed the subject. "So, are you accompanying me to prom or not?" She goaded him. "Definitely!" Mike said enthusiastically. He gave her a rare, bright smile. Laura was getting romantically hooked on her long time neighbor, and soon placed Clark Kent on the back burner.


	8. Chapter 8: Firestarter

Chapter 8

**Gold Wing**: _Firestarter_

The Senior Prom came around too soon for Laura's taste. She'd finalized her outfit the night before the semiformal dance was to take place. The novice superhero had decided to go with an elegant black spaghetti strap dress, low cut in the front, and with a high hem, revealing her long, tan legs.

Instead of the common high-heeled pumps most girls wore, Laura went with glossy, shiny, heeled black boots, which would eventually become part of her Gold Wing outfit. Frills, and fluff aren't really my style, she thought as she reset her raven black hair for the third time in the last hour.

Laura piled her shiny black coiffure high atop her head, leaving her neck exposed, and her thick, trademark bright canary yellow hair strands were allowed to curl alongside her thin, tan face. They dangled beside her latest additions, gold-plated lightning bolt earrings, and a gold-plated necklace leading down her chest to a decorative golden bird medallion, yet another nod to Gold Wing.

Laura Lake had decided to fully embrace her alter ego, adopting the Gold Wing persona as her own. Tim Servo's latest tests had confirmed what she had already guessed – her DNA had been permanently altered by the massive Loracite infection. Hence, Gold Wing was born.

Clark Kent had showed her the possibilities when she'd gone up to Smallville for a visit. It was then that she'd considered the Gold Wing alter ego. She would live two completely separate lives. The next question to answer would be '_how do I support myself, and still perform as Gold Wing'_?

However, tonight those questions would not be resolved. Mike Trent was due to pick her up in two hours. Laura's Aunt Wanda had been fussing over her surrogate daughter's appearance all afternoon. Finally, the attractive forty-something landowner had received a call from one of her employees at the family hardware store. This left Laura on her own to finish primping and prepping.

Finally, after another half an hour, the teen beauty was satisfied with her overall appearance. _I wonder if Mike is going through all of this_? She wondered silently, as she searched for a matching purse. After a longwinded speech from Aunt Wanda, Laura was ready to go. Mike had pulled up in the Trent's bright blue pick up truck.

Laura took a deep breath, as she answered Mike's knock on the Lake's screen door. "Wow!" Mike eyed Laura up from head to toe. She flushed slightly as she opened the door. "Laura, you look stunning!" He appraised. "Aww! Thanks! Back at you, slick!" Laura joked.

Mike was wearing a nicely cut rental tux, with a sky blue dress shirt, and bright red, traditional power tie, and shiny gloss black dress shoes. Laura escorted Mike into the den, by taking his elbow. Aunt Wanda was impressed with the young man, and immediately began snapping the obligatory photos.

Mike brushed back his black straight hair with his hand, revealing a prominent, tan forehead. The young couple struck pose after pose for Aunt Wanda, before it was finally time to leave. Mike remembered to hold the door open for Laura, and also help her into the truck cab.

Laura sighed, relaxing a bit after the hectic last two days. Mike cleared his throat, searching for something else complimentary to say. "I like the outfit, especially the boots." He eventually got out. "Thanks Mike. You know me, I always like to be myself." _Or my two selves_, she mused.

"You look great, too." She added. "Thanks. I wasn't sure how this monkey suit would fit." He quipped.  
"You look fine." Laura praised. _More than fine_, she thought lustily. Laura was now considering when or if she would get her first true kiss. She assumed that the evening would go well, and Mike would never act like a jerk, or dump her off to hang out with some other friends. Only time would tell.

Mike was a former jock, traveling in those elite separatist circles of your average high school. Something had happened, and he'd since left those questionable acquaintances behind. By senior year at Falcon Claw High, most of the jocks and cheerleaders had begun to grow up, and act like civilized young men and women. There were always exceptions, of course.

Mike and Laura pulled up in the Falcon Claw High parking lot. They parked and started towards the gymnasium entrance, which doubled as the Drama Club's auditorium, and today was the scene of the Senior Prom. Mike took Laura by the hand as the entered the gymnasium lobby.

Derrick Holden and his date, Easy Louise Fenton, stood by the double doors smoking cigarettes and shooting the breeze with Farley Kean and his date, Cyndi Callon. All four were known delinquents, and had barely been allowed to attend Senior Prom, because their conduct scores were so low.

"Whoa! Look at this!" Derrick began, as he blew smoke in Laura's face. "Lake, you clean up real good, I mean who thought that there was a woman under those grungy clothes you usually wear?" Mike's heart beat faster, and Laura's enhanced hearing picked up the blood rushing through his veins. She'd been experimenting with limiting her hearing ability by blocking out unnecessary noise.

"Thanks, Derrick." Laura's ruby red lips curled slightly at the ends in a practiced sneer. _Kill_ _them with kindness_, she mused reluctantly. She and Mike advanced a bit further. "Hey Mike, how does one give up being a top football prospect to become what, A farm boy?" Farley threw in the dig. These two geniuses were on the Varsity Football team with Mike freshman year.

"I guess I have new priorities." Mike said, barely avoiding a nasty retort. Laura could sense that Mike was trying to control his temper. "Ooh, like what? Boinking Lake?" Easy Louise put in. Laura swore that Mike's eyes flared a bright orange red. She hoped that it was a trick of the light.

Mike snorted. Laura immediately grabbed him by the elbow, feeling his muscles tense up. "Mike, relax! We're big enough to take a few insults." She warned. "We're above all that." For the moment, he calmed, and escorted Laura to a nearby table where their other friend, Shana Springbrook and her date, Fred Griffin, had staked out a seat.

Next, Tim Servo had entered the auditorium, with his date, one **Kara Kent**. Derrick and Farley nearly choked on their cigarettes as the self-proclaimed geek walked in with the alien beauty on his arm. Cyndi gasped. "What do you suppose he's paying her per hour?" She sniped.

Kara glared at Cyndi, but chose not to confront the delinquent teen. Tim gulped, worried that this night would still prove to be a major disaster. Laura quickly stood up and waved Tim and Kara over. Shana Springbrook cast a puzzled glance at the blonde beauty. She'd never seen Tim around a girl before, other than Laura, let alone a stranger like Kara.

After introductions were made, the prom-goers chatted pleasantly. All the while, Laura kept an eye on Derrick and his lowlife friends, determined to head off any unpleasant confrontations. Shortly, the music started, and Shana and Fred were the first out on the dance floor, as the crowd followed.  
Eventually, Tim and Kara braved the crowd, and joined the others. Admittedly, Tim was no America's Top dancer, but faked enough moves to keep Kara amused. He noted that she was light on her feet, occasionally appearing to float above the highly polished gymnasium floor.

Mike gathered enough courage to ask Laura to dance. He'd waited for a slow romantic song, before the attempt. He extended a hand, and she took it, following him through the crowd with a gigantic smile on her face. Shana smirked. "Aww! They look like a prince and princess out there." She commented to Fred, who agreed.

Laura swallowed hard, silently thanking her Aunt Wanda for insisting that she stick with her martial arts exercises, which gave the powerful teen an unusual amount of grace and balance. Mike did fairly well, remembering to stay off of Laura's feet, though it wouldn't have hurt her anyway.

Laura melted into Mike's arms, and predictably, at the end of the slow song, their eyes met, and she received her first kiss. Mike had a girlfriend early on named Cassie, a cheerleader, but the two had eventually called it quits early last summer. This was new ground for Laura.

No sooner had the song ended and the two unclenched from their embrace, when some type of commotion began near the rear of the auditorium. At first, the band played on, and the kids continued to dance, but soon, faculty members rushed through the crowd, arriving at the rear exit.

Eventually, the band stopped playing. "Now what?" Laura grumbled as she and Mike met Kara halfway through the gym. Tim trailed them at a safe distance. They worked their way back to the scene. Naturally, some idiots began fighting, and Derrick was at the center of it all.

Two husky male teachers had separated Derrick from an oddly dressed boy that Laura didn't know. She was about to turn back around and guide Mike to the table, when the entire rear of the auditorium erupted in flames! The decorative curtains had started on fire.

The boy opposing Derrick turned on his heel and ran. Laura caught a glimpse of him. He had lengthy blonde hair, and wore a long black trench coat. "Oh my God! Geoff?" Shana shouted over the din. Laura reminded herself to question Shana about that later. Now the priority was to stop the fire from spreading. It had already gotten into the electrical system. _That wasn't good_, she mused.

The students began to panic. Principal Jordan yelled at the top of his lungs. "Everyone head towards the drama stage. There are two emergency exits back there! Let's move it in an orderly fashion!" The students stumbled over chairs, purses, and falling decorations, as they headed to the front of the gym.

"It's always something!" Laura snapped as she dashed across the gym in the blink of an eye. She helped to herd the students in the right direction, as smoke filled up the auditorium quickly. The automated sprinkler system kicked in next, spraying the entire area with water.

Steam hissed as the flames were partially put out. The electrical grid was a different story. The walls themselves began to smoke, as the fire zipped along the myriad of wires. The gym would likely be a total loss, Laura estimated, as she held Mike's hand, guiding him to the exit.

"How could you move so fast?" He queried. Laura shrugged. "Adrenaline surge?" She replied lamely. Meanwhile, Kara had taken to the air, flying in and out of the smoke to cover her search.

She was circling the gym, making sure that all of the students and faculty had gotten out.  
Assured that no one was left, Kara floated down behind the collapsing walls, and dashed to Laura and Mike's side. "Are all proms this much fun?" She asked sarcastically. Laura smirked. "You should've seen the last one." Tim, Shana, and Fred had waited outside patiently for their friends to emerge.

The faculty began their final headcount just as the fire department and police arrived. Tim sighed. "No prom is ever a total success unless there's a complete disaster." He remarked cynically. Laura, Shana, and Kara walked along the edge of the crowd, leaving the boys to chitchat.

"Shana, did you know that strange boy that was fighting with Derrick?" Laura grilled her friend. "Yes, I think so. His name is Geoff Carlin. He got kicked out of Falcon Claw earlier this year for poor attendance." The lanky, stringy brown haired teen responded. "The plot thickens." Laura remarked.

"Do you recall much about him?" Kara continued the interrogation. "Not really." Shana said. "He kept mostly to himself. I didn't ever see him argue with anybody." Laura frowned. "Why do I get the feeling that Derrick goaded him into a fight?" Shana nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it."

The fire department began subduing the blaze, but it was too late for most of the auditorium. The police were vainly searching for Derrick and the others. Naturally, they had already run off, or so Laura assumed. Suddenly there was a growl and a crashing of something into a police car.

"What on Earth?" Kara exclaimed as she whirled, just in time to see someone throw Derrick through a police car's rear window. The delinquent moaned, as a dark silhouette spun away from the crowd, and sped into the nearby cornfields. Things had just gotten worse.

more...


	9. Chapter 9: Inflamed

Gold Wing: Chapter 9

_Inflamed_:

Farley Kean stumbled out of the cornfields and back into the rescue vehicle area. Since the power company had disconnected all electrical connections to the Falcon Claw High Auditorium, the entire area was bathed in darkness, save for the multicolored flashes of the emergency vehicle lights.

"He's crazy!" Farley yelled as he tripped over a parking space cement block, nearly falling face first onto the black asphalt pavement. Laura, Kara, and Shana had rejoined the others at the edge of the crowd. The nearest police officers helped Farley to his feet. "Who son? Who's crazy?" One burly officer asked.

"Trent! He's a nut bag!" Farley gazed up at the crowd with a wild eyed look on his face. Laura had noted that Mike was approximately where she'd left him, but now his tux was dirty, and his tie torn. "Easy son. Tell us what happened. Who's Trent?" The second officer encouraged. "Him!" Farley pointed at Mike.

"It's Trent! He tried to rip me apart in the field." Farley shuddered as he let the policeman stand him up against a nearby squad car. "What? I've been here all the long." Mike defended, as Tim Servo and Fred Griffin nodded. "We never saw him move." Tim contributed.

"The kid's probably on something!" A faculty member with an ice bag on her shoulder said. "What about the boy who was severely injured a few moments ago?" Kara asked the policeman. "He's doing fine, miss. But he'll require some stitches, and he may have a possible concussion." The second officer informed her. "Do you know him?" Kara shook her head. "No, I was just curious."

"Mike, did you see what happened?" Laura asked him suspiciously, recalling their odd conversation about being different, earlier in the week. "No." Mike gulped. "It was too dark." Laura began to feel uneasy, like Mike wasn't being truthful with her.

"What about you, K Girl?" Laura turned away as Mike wiped his sweaty brow, and dusted off his tux. He removed his tie, placing it within the pocket of the jacket. "Did you catch a glimpse of anything?" Kara shrugged. "I'm not sure, Laura. I saw a silhouette toss the first boy into the car. But he or she was somewhat bigger than everyone I see here. I suppose it could have been a trick of the lights."

"Shana, what about Geoff Carlin?" Laura was in full investigative mode. "Are you sure that it was him that fought with Derrick?" Shana hedged a bit. "It looked like him, but that was some time ago already. I can't be one hundred percent certain. I guess we'll have to wait for Derrick to snap out of it."

Mike's eyes darted from girl to girl. He vainly tried to recall what had happened a few moments ago. He'd felt nervous, angry, and upset._ Something had triggered what? He was chasing someone, but who? Was it this Geoff, or maybe Derrick and Farley_? Mike wasn't sure. _Did he imagine the whole thing_?

_The fire_? Mike considered. He remembered feeling scared by the fire. _Was it the gym fire, or something that had happened in the past_? "Mike?" Laura was holding his hand. "Are you okay? It's like you just zoned out on me for a minute?" She rubbed his back. It felt good, like a cooling drink on a hot summer day. "Sorry Laurie. I guess with all the excitement, I'm getting tired." Mike sighed.

"Did you want to go home? I mean the prom is pretty much shot for now." Laura tried to cheer Mike up. Kara circled around the boys skeptically. She couldn't quite get a handle on why, but she felt that Mike or Farley were lying. _Which one, though_?

She studied all three boys whereabouts in her mind's eye. The shadowy figure had slammed Derrick into the back window of the car. That's not something that an ordinary human was likely to do. _Could this Geoff have been responsible_? Kara assumed that the strange boy had left as the fire broke, admittedly, he could have returned, and waited outside to finish his melee with Derrick.

Mike shook his head. "No, Laurie, I don't really want to go home." Laura realized that he'd called her by her old nickname. He hadn't called her Laurie since they were about twelve years old. "Good." Laura replied pleasantly. "Unfortunately, Terrence O' Brien was going to have a cookout, bonfire tonight, right after the prom. Maybe we've all inhaled too much smoke by now. Are you still game?"

Mike nodded. "Sure. We'll just have to be careful. Did we all bring a change of clothes?" Shana, Fred, Tim, and Kara were still up to it, and had brought extra clothing, and sleeping bags. After all of the excitement tonight, Laura hoped that the rest of the evening would go well. After all, _how bad could it be_?, and besides, she'd received her first true kiss.

Shana and Fred held hands, and Tim and Kara followed suit. They all went through the obligatory questioning by the police, the fire department, and the schoolteachers slash event moderators. Finally, it was time to move on. Mike still felt woozy, unsure of what exactly had happened.

Most of the students headed home, or to a nice quiet make out spot, after the prom debacle. The fire had been put out, with substantial damage being done to the gym. Geoff Carlin hadn't resurfaced. The police assumed that he was involved, and began an unofficial manhunt for the former student, pegging him as a 'person of interest' in the fire and the assaults.

Terry's place was only a few miles from Falcon Claw High, in a combination rural and subdivision area. Bonfires were allowed under supervision. When the three couples got there, the party had begun to fill up. Terry was a bit shaken by the gym fire, but promised to keep an extra close eye on his cookout.

The couples took turns changing into their grubbies, and joined the rest of the partygoers promptly. Laura held Mike's hand as she led him toward the main thrust of the crowd. She could feel Mike tense up the nearer to the bonfire they got. "What's up Mike, you hardly said a word since the prom?" Laura attempted to get him talking again.

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that." Mike's complexion appeared to grow ashen as they approached the open flame. "I guess that I'm still a bit rattled." Laura held him closely, as she attempted to get his mind off the fire and back on romance for the evening.

"Everyone's okay Mike." Laura pointed out. "The school gym is just a thing. Thankfully, nobody died or became injured." Mike nodded, relaxing his posture somewhat. "Yeah, we should be grateful." He managed to get out before Laura kissed him on the cheek.

Kara led Tim past the bonfire next, keeping an eye on Mike from a short distance. Something was telling her that Mike was hiding something. Had Kara developed a new ability, or was it just female intuition, albeit an alien female sixth sense? Tim noted Kara's interest, and began asking her questions.

Shana and Fred were already reclining on some lawn chairs, not far from Laura and Mike. "What do you suppose brought Carlin back to school, Griff?" Terry inquired. Fred shrugged. "I don't know. I never had any problem with the guy. I heard he was always a bit squirrelly though."

Shana, who'd developed a new hobby, namely the occult, added her two cents. "Maybe he was a demon, or a dispossessed spirit, bent on seeking revenge." Fred cast Shana a sidelong glance. "Okay, someone's been reading too many _Harry Potter _books." He criticized.

"Shana, you've been hanging with the Goths again, haven't you?" Laura teased, hurriedly glancing around the area, just in case some Goth kids were invited to the party. She saw none. "No, but I'm telling you, Laura, there are a lot of unexplained things in our world...and the next." Shana defended.

"Okay, now that we've taken a sharp left turn into conspiracy theory land, maybe you'd like to tell us some ghost stories." Terry challenged. "Ghosts, or poltergeists are real, Terry." Shana began as Laura rolled her eyes. _Someone has too much time on her hands_, she silently mused.

Mike had gone silent again, and Laura was already considering having him take her home. He just didn't appear to be having a good time, and his attitude was starting to bring her down. Kara, of all people, had taken an interest in Shana's bizarre stories. Tim sat nearby and scoffed. The occult was exactly the opposite of what he was interested in, namely science and logic.

Laura would've loved to tell them about her experiences, and those of Clark and Kara, but obviously she had to remain mute on the subject. The bonfire flames suddenly leapt higher, startling the attentive teens. Shana silenced, fearing that she'd somehow angered a spirit by discussing the 'other world.'

"It's just an updraft of wind." Terry downplayed the incident, though Mike's eyes suddenly went glassy, and his body had gone rigid. Laura felt, more than saw, that something was about to go terribly wrong. She grabbed Mike's arm. "Mike? Are you alright?" Laura noticed that his face was pale.

Kara was a hair faster than Laura. She lunged for Mike, just as the disturbed teen dashed past her. Laura and Kara nearly collided as he dashed away. He'd moved faster than either of the super-powered girls! Mike was definitely using an ability. The question remained: Was he a meteor freak, or similar to Laura, or something else?

To the partygoers, Mike simply seemed to vanish. Laura and Kara were sprawled out on the ground. He was nowhere to be seen. Tim, Fred, Terry, and Shana stared in disbelief. "See Shana, you scared Mike away!" Fred chastised her. "You and your ghost stories!"

"Maybe he just had to go to the bathroom?" Tim tried to limit the damage of the incident. Kara stood back up, and listened intensely to the surrounding area. She focused her attention as Clark had taught her. "There!" Kara pointed in a general direction. Laura and Kara disappeared next.

Terry gasped. "Did you see that? The girls are gone!" Tim flushed. What the hell had gone wrong? He wondered silently, picking himself up. Shana was beginning to panic. "Witchcraft! It's witchcraft, I tell you! This is all my fault!" Even Fred refused to debate his date on that point.


	10. Chapter 10: Vulnerable

**Chapter 10**: _Vulnerable_

Scene: _The cornfields just outside of Falcon Claw, near Terry O'Brien's bonfire_.

Kara flew silently just above the tops of the corn stalks. She tried to stay out of the partygoers' line of sight. Laura zipped about, just below her, using a good amount of her hyper speed. She searched in a circular pattern which spiraled out away from the panic stricken teens at the bonfire.

The super girl spotted fresh indentations in the soil, and a zigzag trail of flattened corn stalks, from the air. Kara wrinkled her nose as she approached a larger patch of destroyed grains. Something smelled really foul nearby. "Ew! Gross!" The alien beauty exclaimed as she found the source of the aroma.

The acrid odor had led her to two dead and mutilated cows. The unfortunate animals had been literally shredded into barely recognizable pieces. "Laura!" Kara yelled, startling the others who were some distance away. Her voice pierced the otherwise quiet night air as she landed. "I found something!"

Laura trotted over at half her normal speed. She had purposely let her Loracite laced Gold Wing powers dwindle to an absolute minimum. Two days prior, the young super hero had been so stoked up on a Loracite flavored milkshake that Tim had created for her, that she hadn't slept much in three nights.

Laura prided herself, perhaps foolishly, on the fact that she could force her Gold Wing abilities to bend to her will. She insisted to Tim that she needed to cut back on the Loracite to live some semblance of a normal life. Though the mysterious mineral had reorganized her DNA, she refused to be dependent on it.

Laura nearly gagged on the recently mutilated carcasses' smell. "Yuck! Hamburger, anyone?" She quipped cynically. "Pass!" Kara returned the barb, adding: "Something was certainly hungry." Laura examined the corpses closely, as close as she dared without vomiting. "I'm not so sure."

"Its hard to tell." Laura continued. "I don't think any of the pieces are missing." Kara winced at the comment. "That paints a pretty picture." The alien beauty remarked. "So you think that the cattle were mutilated and killed for what...fun?" Kara was skeptical as Laura shrugged.

"Something could've been interrupted before it completed its meal." Laura speculated. The super powered girls exchanged glances. "Mike!" They chorused. Laura frantically gazed in every direction. "Mike? Are you okay?" She yelled into the rustling corn stalk field. No answer.

Kara focused her hearing as Clark had taught her, opening up her mind to concentrate on the local sounds and eliminating them one by one. She slowly turned around, closing her eyes. "There!" Kara pointed to a specific location. "Something's moving!" The girls bolted towards it.

They reached a damaged patch in the cornfield simultaneously. In the center of a burned and smoldering ring of stalks, roughly twelve feet in diameter, lay Mike Trent. He was curled in a fetal position, shuddering violently. His eyes were glassy and unfocused. His breathing was ragged and shallow.

Mike was covered in smelly, fresh blood, some of which had been burned into a paste. "Oh my God!" Laura exclaimed as she reached down to help her date. He bristled, groaning as his pupils went narrow and yellow. His body went rigid. "He's in shock!" Laura guessed.

She hoped that Mike hadn't been the cause of the cattle's demise, but feared the worst. It was entirely possible that he had mutilated and killed the animals, but that didn't explain the burned, circular grain pattern surrounding them. Kara helped him up into a sitting position.

Laura tearfully kept calling his name, snapping her fingers, and gently slapping Mike's face. "Mikey! Snap out of it!" She ordered to no avail. Something about the burn pattern bothered Kara, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The pattern seemed familiar somehow.

"Geoff Carlin!" Kara muttered after a few seconds contemplation. "Geoff? What about him?" Laura was puzzled as she tried vainly to awaken Mike from his vegetative state. "Didn't it seem suspicious to you that the fire at the gym started at exactly the same time as Geoff's arrival?" Kara pressed.

She was used to this line of thinking after spending the last two years with Chloe and Clark, learning about the meteor freaks and the others. "Geoff could've started the fire at the gym, and blasted Mike somehow." Kara wondered aloud. "Not to be rude, but why isn't Mike dead?"

Laura didn't like where this was going at all. The facts were starting to add up. "What if Geoff is a meteor freak?" Kara followed up. Laura figured that was as good an explanation as anything. "What would a meteor freak be doing in Nebraska?" She fished.

"You never know if Geoff was born in or around Smallville." Kara began. "You said that no one really knew him that well." Laura sighed. The mystery would have to wait. "Anyway, we have to get Mike out of here before the others see him. We still have to explain our disappearance to the other kids."

"Come on, Mike!" Laura urged, as she stood him up. "You know what I have to do, don't you?" She hinted to Kara. The alien beauty nodded. "You'll have to reveal yourself to Mike." Laura thought about it, and decided on one last ditch effort. "Kara? Can you watch Mike? This is a job for Gold Wing!"

With that, Laura zipped away at about half her normal speed. She quickly downed a Loracite shake. Mix one part water, with two parts mineral powder, Laura thought sourly. "Yuk!" She grimaced. "This definitely needs to be improved." Laura returned shortly in full Gold Wing attire, bearing some clean wash cloths and towels.

Mike still had a zombie like expression on his face, so the girls weren't sure how much he'd seen, heard, or would retain. Laura leaned Mike against Kara, and quickly cleaned him up. The blood spattered clothing would just have to be explained some other way, Laura mused, and handed Kara the linens.

Laura turned Mike back towards the bonfire area, and Kara blasted the soiled linens with her heat vision, effectively frying the evidence. "Ready?" Laura asked as Kara nodded. Gold Wing, now at full power, carried Mike back to the cookout.

Shana gasped, and Tim and Fred helped Gold Wing steady Mike. "Wow! It's the Gold Wing!" Tim played it up. "What the hell happened to Trent?" Fred asked worriedly. "I was hoping that you could tell me." Laura responded, using the voice disguising synthesizer that Chloe had given her.

Her voice sounded deep and heavily accented. "This guy was wandering around in the cornfields." She informed them. Terry O'Brien checked Laura out. The Gold Wing outfit consisted of a black leather jacket, yellow cropped t-shirt, black leather pants, glossy leather boots, and the cheesy black mask, framed by her trademark golden strands of hair.

"Something must've tried to attack him." Laura milked her part. She seated Mike on a large boulder away from the bonfire. "You just happened to be hanging around in the cornfields?" Ted Krawley asked skeptically. "Yeah! What about that?" Tim added scornfully, also milking his part.

"I saw the school gym fire and decided to investigate." Laura lied convincingly. "I also saw your bonfire and thought that the two were connected." Terry's eyes narrowed, but he accepted her explanation at face value for now. "Oh my God!" Shana shrieked. "Laura and Kara are still out in the fields!"

"We have to start looking for them!" Fred added. Gold Wing shook her head, careful to keep her distance from the light of the fire, for fear it could reveal details about her face. "I'll look for them. You all stay here, and call the police or an ambulance." She directed.

Kara heard some rustling in the stalks behind her. She spun to face the noise. "I didn't mean to...I mean he threatened me." A young scruffy looking man said. He had sandy blonde cropped hair and appeared to have been in a fight. Kara observed some dried blood on his torn flannel shirt and blue jeans.

Geoff Carlin circled around Kara. She kept moving to face him. "Who? Who are you talking about, Geoff?" The boy froze a short distance away from her. "How do you know my name?" He growled. "The kids at the party were discussing you." Kara decided to keep him talking.

"You set the fire!" She grilled. "No!" Geoff snapped, as his eyes narrowed. "It just happens when I get mad." Kara had put herself in a difficult position. She didn't want to hurt Geoff, nor reveal her abilities to him. "Who, Geoff? Who were you after?" Kara probed. "Derrick Holden of course." The deranged boy replied. "He's a jerk. They're all jerks. I sometimes get angry."

Kara mentally steadied her resolve to deck Geoff in as lightly a manner as possible. He approached her in a more threatening way. She didn't have the pinpoint control of her powers yet, that Clark had. Kara concentrated on her fist, preparing to slam Geoff to the ground.

"I sometimes get angry!" Geoff continued, repeating it for emphasis. "You don't want me to get angry, do you?" He menaced. "You need to control your temper." Kara argued. "The people at the gym could've been injured or killed." She continued to try and talk him down.

Geoff shrugged. "I know. That's why people shouldn't make me mad." He said casually. "I can't let anyone know about me, that I started the fire." He set himself up for a charge at Kara. She steeled her resolve to dash one way or the other based on Geoff's angle of attack.

"I'm sorry!" Geoff extended his arms in front of him, and quickly separated them in a wide arcing motion. Instantly, an area of flame erupted around Kara, encircling her. She knew that the fire wouldn't really affect her, but what if there was Kryptonite around? Should she take that chance? Kara mused.

Kara back-flipped into a leap above the ever higher reaching ring of fire's edge. To Geoff, it would appear that she simply had a quick reaction time. During the upward surge of fire ring's snaking curls of smoke, Geoff had lost track of Kara. She silently came up behind him.

Kara decked him with a powerful karate chop to the neck. He crumpled at her feet. She dragged him away from the advancing flames, and then turning, proceeded to blow them all out. The smoldering blackened corn stalks crackled as the embers began to dim.


	11. Chapter 11: Tough Love

Tough Love

Kara hefted Geoff Carlin over one shoulder and zipped away. They cleared the burned farm field section, and silently made their way to an old darkened farmhouse. It looked like it had been abandoned for a while. Laura, as Gold Wing removed Mike, saying that she could speed him to the medical center much faster than awaiting an ambulance.

The kids watched in awe, as Gold Wing seemed to disappear. Laura quickly located Kara and Geoff. The girls stood side-by-side assessing Mike's mental state. "We should get Mike over to the hospital, those could be severe burns." Kara mentioned.

Laura tore parts of Mike's burned clothing away. She gasped. Mike hadn't a burn mark on him. "Either Mike is extremely lucky, or …not entirely human." Kara swallowed hard as Laura sat down on the ground. "Why didn't he tell me?" She lamented.

"For the same reason we don't tell anybody about us?" Kara asked rhetorically. "Couldn't this be good for you two? I mean now you both have something to hide." She continued. "I guess." Laura hesitated. "That depends if he can remember what happened tonight."

"I wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Trent know?" Laura wondered aloud. "Mike? Can you hear me?" The boy just stared vacantly at her, conscious but not aware. "I'm going to have to take him home. Mr. and Mrs. Trent will have to sort this out." Laura decided.

"What do we do with Carlin?" Kara asked. "He did cause the fire at the gym, and attempt to kill Mike and I. He's obviously unstable. He could hurt someone, or himself." Laura sighed. "The police would be no match for him. I'm going to try Chloe."

"I'll take him back to Smallville." Kara offered. "Only Clark and I can control his powers. Maybe we can take him to see Dr. Emile Hamilton. He has experience with meteor freaks, or whatever Geoff is." Laura nodded. "I'll zip Mike home to his parents, but we have to show up at the party for a few moments so the kids won't involve the police."

The girls grabbed the guys and sped off in opposite directions. Kara dropped Carlin off at Clark's barn loft, after informing him of the dilemma. Laura zipped back to Mike's house, and stealthily carried him into the house and upstairs to his bedroom. Luckily, the Trents were asleep.

Laura set Mike down in his bed, undressing him to his underwear. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind for our date tonight." She quietly said, sadly kissing him on the forehead before zipping off. James and Marian Trent weren't asleep. They watched worriedly from their bedroom window as Laura sped away. "We have to find a way to help Mike." Marian sighed.

"Maybe this girl can help." Jim said. "She isn't exactly normal either. Who do you think she was?" Marian shrugged. "I couldn't see her face, but somehow she looks familiar. I think its wishful thinking or blind faith that clouds my vision."

"Me too, honey." Jim said as he hugged his wife, and then headed back to bed. "In any event, Mike will have to deal with this. All we can do is be there for him, and help if we can." Mike slept restlessly that night, but in the morning he seemed fine.

The tired teen wandered down to breakfast with his family as he did every morning. The conversation would come eventually, Jim and Marian knew from past experience.

After dropping Mike and Geoff off, Laura and Kara returned to the party briefly. They left as soon as they could. Kara sped back to Smallville after kissing Tim on the cheek. Laura went home to rest, and consider how best to deal with Mike.

Laura slept uneasily, deciding not to confront Mike at this time. She instead wanted to head back to Smallville to discuss things with Clark, and possibly Chloe. Geoff and Mike could both present a danger. As far as she knew, Mike had never been in trouble with the law, though that could change. Geoff had already committed some crimes.

Late the next morning, Mike gave Laura a call. She'd been preparing for a discussion all night. "Hi Laura, how are you?" Mike opened warily. "Mike, are you feeling better? You seemed kind of out of it last night." Laura began gently. "Yeah about that. I'm sorry. I wasn't myself. Can I make it up to you?" Mike gallantly volunteered.

"Possibly." Laura hinted. "First, you need to tell me what's wrong." She pushed. "Wrong?" Mike gulped. "Yes, wrong. Are you on drugs? Did you drink too much? Just tell me the truth." Laura prodded. "I uh…have like a disease." Mike stuttered. "Sometimes, I just don't act right."

"Okay. I get that." Laura said calmly. "Have you seen a doctor?" Mike should've expected that question. "I uh…can't." He swallowed hard. "You're afraid of the doctor?" Laura allowed. "No. There's nothing they can do for me." Mike hedged. "Are you sure?" Laura probed.

"Yes Laura, I'm sorry." Mike replied sadly. "I understand if you don't want to see me again." Laura wouldn't let it go that easily. "No Mike, you're going to face this." She said sternly. "I have a friend who knows a doctor that's completely trustworthy."

"But how? I mean, I can't. No one knows." Mike stammered. "Mike, listen to me." Laura stopped short of telling him the truth about her. Something mentally stopped Laura from revealing any more. She suddenly felt that she couldn't trust Mike. He seemed to be in denial.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Mike decided stubbornly. "Fine!" Laura snapped. "I'm going to give you the phone number of this special doctor. If you want to get some help, you can call him. It's your decision. Don't expect me to wait around for you." Laura snarled.

"You know what you must do." Laura said with finality. "Here's the number." She gave it to him, but also sent it in an E mail to his computer, and wrote it down on a piece of paper, intending to mail it to him. He'd have to be the one to decide his fate. She just wanted to give him every opportunity. "Call me sometime, Mike, but not until you've gotten some help."

Laura hung up on him, shedding some tears as she did so. Why didn't she want to tell her oldest friend the truth? It aggravated her stomach, and her Loracite level was beginning to slow. She could feel herself tiring. Laura settled down for a long nap.

Mike hadn't called for over a month. Laura decided to head up to Metropolis to see how Clark and Chloe were doing, and to raise her spirits. A new mystery caught her attention...


	12. Chapter 12: Mystery of Burntwood Manor

**Gold Wing** _The Mystery of Burntwood Manor_

Scene: _Falcon Claw – The local teen hangout, 'Feldon's Ice Cream & Soda Shoppe'_

Laura Lake, frustrated by Mike Trent's reluctance to seek help, had turned to Clark Kent for support. He'd been very helpful, but their budding romance had hit a snag. Laura had decided to return home and straighten out some aspects of her life.

Now eighteen, Laura had inherited a decent amount of money from her deceased parents. They'd had the foresight to begin a trust fund at Laura's birth. After a painful summit meeting with her Aunt Wanda, Laura had set up a bank account in her name.

Laura been offered a job at her Aunt Wanda's hardware store, but she'd politely refused. That still left a gaping hole in Laura's life. She needed to get a steady income to support her new dual life as Gold Wing slash Laura Lake. Nothing had come to mind yet.

'Clark, I intend to make a difference with my life.' Laura's last words to her could be beau, rang through her head. 'I was given these gifts, and I intend to use them.' She'd added, before passionately kissing him goodbye.

After her stint in Smallville and Metropolis, Laura was glad to be back at Feldon's Ice Cream & Soda Shoppe. Tim Servo greeted her at the door. "The prodigal daughter returns." He remarked sarcastically. "How was life in the big city?" Laura shrugged. "Busy."

"I missed you." Laura said as she hugged Tim. "I seriously doubt that." He countered cynically. "I'm quite sure Clark kept you amused." Laura snickered. "Oh yeah! Though it seems that Clark and I have reached the end of our little tryst."

Instantly, Tim's mood lightened. Laura flipped her lengthy raven black hair over her shoulder. "Already?" Tim was ecstatic. "Yes." Laura said as she sat down at their favorite white metal antique table near the window. Tim joined her presently.

"Clark is nice. In fact he's more than nice. He's nearly perfect." Laura wallowed as the young waitress, Brandy, came up to take their orders. "Hey Brands, I'll have a double cherry belly buster." Laura smirked. Tim chuckled. "The same!" Brandy laughed. "Tough day, eh?"

The sandy brown haired sophomore was easily the best waitress Feldon's had. "The toughest." Laura replied. Brandy had her finger on the pulse of the entire local teenage population. She worked the most hours, gathered the most tips, and knew all of the latest gossip.

Brandy left and Laura continued, ready to drown her sorrows in the massive high calorie dessert. "Clark and I made out at his new Metropolis condo apartment, just a few blocks from downtown." Tim winced. "You're over sharing again." He complained.

"Clark said that he's not ready to move on, and now there's a new wrinkle. He has his sights set on an ace reporter at the Metropolis Daily Planet named Lois Lane." Laura whined. "Ooh! I can see your claws! Hiss! Hiss!" Tim teased.

"Clark has all of these miraculous powers, yet he hides them from the world." Laura added. "I want to put mine right out there."  
"You, however, want to take over the world?" Tim quipped. "Of course." Laura smirked. "Someone has to. Actually, I may be onto something big."

Tim folded his hands in front of him. "Do tell! I'm intrigued!" Laura glanced around warily. "Last evening when I was hauling my curvaceous butt back to Falcon Claw from Smallville…" Tim snickered, interrupting her. "I see that your confidence hasn't been damaged despite the defective Clark Kent." He sniped. "Anyway…" Laura watched Brandy approaching.

"I have to check with Aunt Wanda first, but during my hyper speed jog, I noticed a good-sized mansion on the island in the middle of Crater Lake. It was built halfway into the side of the hill. Legend tells us that Crater Lake was formed by a partial hit by a comet, thousands of years ago."

Laura continued: "Hence the name Comet Creek, and the cause of the availability of my Loracite stash. The Loracite, that you determined was non-organic, likely came in on the comet chunk." Tim nodded. "Go on." Laura waited for Brandy to distribute their food, drinks, and utensils.

"The mansion looked abandoned. There were no lights on the island anywhere, no vehicles available, and no signs of any soil disturbances recently." Laura added excitedly. Naturally, Brandy was way ahead of them. "Are you guys talking about Burntwood Manor?"

Laura figured that as the eyes and ears of Falcon Claw, Brandy would know something about everything. "Yes, actually." Laura admitted. "Burntwood Manor has been abandoned since the nineteen seventies." Brandy informed them. "The family may still own the property, but for whatever reason, haven't been back to visit it."

"Thanks, Brandy." Laura said. As the young waitress walked away, Laura continued. "The Loracite deposits run from the Tekamah caves, beneath Comet Creek, and wait for it…" She teased. "The vein runs straight out to that island, and below Burntwood Manor."

"So?" Tim was puzzled. "You know, Tim Ster, for a genius, you can lack a certain vision at times." Laura chastised him. "I purchase Burntwood Manor, and voila! I get all the Loracite I could ever ingest, a sound financial investment, and a cool place for…"

Laura quieted as a young couple past them by. "A cool place for Gold Wing to put her lair." Tim's eyes lit up. "That's brilliant! Laura, you are a goddess!" He gushed. "Thank you, sir." Laura took a long slurp of her ice cream soda.

"So, being eighteen, without a source of income, how do you plan to pull this off?" Tim was always a realist. "Two words, Tim Ster: Trust Fund." Laura smacked her ruby red lips together from the dripping cherry syrup. "Is it enough capital?" Tim was already making a mental calculation. "That depends on the sale price, assuming the family wants to be rid of it."

Tim agreed with Laura. "That actually makes sense. Would your Aunt Wanda go along with it?" Laura shrugged. "I'll have to appeal to her business sense. You know, be practical, invest in some real estate, yada, yada, yada."

"She might think that I just want to turn it into a party house." Laura reasoned. "I'll have to give her a big speech about being responsible, and not shirking my duties to her farm and hardware store."

Tim took a big gulp of his ice cream soda. "Sounds like a plan." He commented. Laura's positive mood began to falter as she recalled her discussions with Clark. She wanted to share in his future, and he hadn't shown any interest in doing so besides the obvious lip locking events.

Tim noted his best friend's sudden sullen attitude. "The farm boy got you down, eh?" He fished. "Clark? Yeah, I'm bummed about it." She admitted.

"Are you done with your long distance romance now?" Tim prodded. "It appears so. I guess that it just wasn't meant to be." Laura confessed. "Should I kiss you now?" Tim asked half seriously. "No Tim! I do not need a kiss!" She pretended to be angry. "Fine. Your loss!" Tim joked.

"Aside from my limited romance, it was cool to tackle evildoers in Metropolis!" Laura tried to cheer herself up. "Gold Wing kicked some serious ass! Though I'm most interested in keeping our Loracite deposits safe from prying eyes, I also found out that there are a number of conspiracies out there. Gold Wing will be needed soon enough."

"Wow! I'm impressed." Tim laughed. "For example, three or four major players are working in advanced genetics research, with or without government approval." Laura's excitement level rose as she spoke. "How about these names? Rowland Chemicals, Luthorcorp, WayneCo, and Worthington Industries are all involved legally or illegally in stem cell research and beyond."

Tim whistled. "Those are some big names." Laura nodded. "That's just what Clark, Chloe, and their other friends came up with. I found out about Rowland Chemicals on my own. There's even some politics involved." Tim was on the edge of his seat, slurping soda quickly.

"Senator Kent, Clark's mom, went toe to toe with some of Luthorcorp, and Rowland Chemicals' cronies. They were politicians in the corporation's pocket, and a slew of lawyers to boot. As a staunch Conservative, I can't be too happy about stem cell research, but I do see the need for it on occasion." Laura rambled. Tim grinned. He loved any type of controversy.

"Are you joining the Tea Party Movement?" Tim inquired. "You betcha!" Laura smiled. "Now that I'm eighteen, I can vote, and if I buy Burntwood Manor, I'll be a taxpayer as well." Tim nodded. "That's sensible. One vote, one idea!" Laura gave him the thumbs up, sticky as they were. Tim was thrilled that Laura was back and paying attention to him.

He'd missed her terribly, that long month that Laura spent in Metropolis and Smallville. To maintain appearances, Laura had zipped back from Kansas every night, and left every morning when her Aunt Wanda went to the hardware store.

"What's our first move, Goldie?" Tim joked, rather than calling Laura Gold Wing. "First, I have to see if Burntwood Manor is up for sale on the listings, and go from there." Laura replied. "If I can pull all this together, Gold Wing will have a new superhero base."

"Back to this conspiracy theory of yours." Tim swiftly changed subjects. "How do you plan to combat all of these business moguls as Gold Wing?" He dropped his voice at the end. "I'd love to just go in there and start busting heads, but legally, I don't have a clue." Laura admitted. "WayneCo and WorthingtonCo are basically clean, based on Chloe's information."

"Rowland Chemicals and Luthorcorp are the exact opposites, filthy as they come." Laura informed him. "I'm not just jumping at shadows, or building conspiracy theories. You should see Chloe's research facility that she calls Watchtower. State of the art tech, you'd be in mega geek heaven." She quipped. Tim smiled. "Where's the end game, though?" He wondered aloud.

"Ultimately, if all four companies succeed, we could be looking at a genetic mutant war." Laura said as the chills ran up and down her spine, and they weren't from the ice cream.


	13. Chapter 13: Mystery of Burntwood 2

**Gold Wing** _The Mystery of Burntwood Manor_

Chapter 2

After their meeting, Laura and Tim separated. He was busily studying the Loracite that Laura had dug out of the base of Comet Creek. He hadn't been able to isolate the foreign mineral's specific properties. Tim had identified most of the elements, those common to Earth, that had mixed with the Loracite. That left several unknown elements. Those were the ones that had mutated Laura.

Laura had headed home to check in with her Aunt Wanda Jenkins. She whipped her overnight bag into her room, and zipped back downstairs to join her Aunt at dinner. Laura filled her surprised Aunt in on her master plan, minus the Loracite infection of course.

"That's quite a huge step, Laura." Aunt Wanda cautioned. "Are you sure you want to make that type of a financial commitment at your young age? A house isn't like a new bike, or even a new car, it will require a lot of work." Laura already knew this, but let her Aunt state her case.

Laura promised her Aunt that it wouldn't interfere with running the family farm, or Wanda's Hardware Store. After all, Laura could work both properties in less than ten minutes at hyper speed. Wanda was still reluctant, stating that Laura should use the trust fund for college.

"I can take on line classes, Aunt Wanda." Laura debated. "If I had to, I can go to Falcon Claw Community College for testing." This seemed to satisfy Wanda's requirements. "That's great, honey. If the Burntwood Manor property is for sale and reasonably priced, I'll have Judge Harrington draw up the claim deed for us. He'll probably require that I cosign for it."

Laura hugged her young aunt, and silently wished, for the first time, that she'd been honest about her abilities. Maybe one day soon, I'll break the news to her, Laura considered. By then, Tim may have figured out what caused the DNA reorganization, and check if it was reversible.

After Aunt Wanda went to bed, Laura called Tim, Clark, and Chloe to give them the good news. Naturally, Clark was nowhere around, but Chloe responded by text, and returned her call later on the next day. Aunt Wanda had gathered a number of her things.

Laura wandered into her aunt's bedroom and cast her a puzzled glance. "Hey honey." Wanda glanced up from her suitcase packing. "Why so sad? You know Robert and I have been planning this little mini vacation for a while. It will be half business, and half fun."

Laura had completely forgotten about Wanda's vacation with her new boyfriend. "I'm trusting that you will hold down the fort this weekend?" Wanda sat on the bed next to Laura. "You know the rules, no wild parties, no strange boys in the house at night, and I gave you a simple list of basic chores to do. Please check on the hardware store if you can."

Laura nodded absently, lost deep in thought. "Oh don't worry about any parties or boys, I'm not exactly Miss Popularity." Laura added sourly. "Aww!" Wanda rubbed Laura's back. "You'll find the right guy one of these days. In the meantime, after your chores, why not take Tim and Shana out to the beach? The weather's supposed to be nice this weekend."

Shana Springbrook was one of the few female friends Laura and Tim had. They'd met in high school, and kept in occasional contact with each other. To this day, Laura had only shared her secret with Tim. Shana was from a well to do area west of Falcon Claw. The other kids had dubbed that subdivision as Brat Flats.

"Maybe we'll do just that." Laura said, as she also considered bringing Tim and Shana along to investigate Burntwood Manor, though it would slow her down, it sounded like fun. Soon after that, Robert picked Wanda up for their business slash pleasure extended weekend. Laura watched them go with some envy.

She put aside those negative thoughts quickly. Wanda was only in her mid thirties, and had already given half her life to caring for Laura. She was entitled to a relaxing, romantic break as much as anyone else was.

Tim called shortly thereafter. "You have the whole house to yourself? You're not having a wild, out of control, house wrecking, delinquent party?" He joked. Laura wasn't amused. "I doubt if you, Shana and I qualify as home wreckers, Tim." She replied sorely.

"I was thinking of heading down to the Crater Lake beach tomorrow." She began. "You, Shana, and I could sun and swim, and then investigate Burntwood Manor." Laura offered. "That sort of works, except that I can't swim out to that island, let alone climb up the side of a rocky hill." Tim reminded her. "Details, details!" Laura smirked. "Shana's cousin has a boat in the lake."

Shana's older cousin, Brianna Simon, had offered to run the kids out to the Crater Lake island cove, provided she could do some fishing. The twenty-year-old college co-ed happened to be on spring break. Rather than head down to more popular sun, surf, and alcohol binge areas like Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the Graphic Arts major decided to stay close to home and save money.

The next morning, Laura and Tim had managed to dig up some public data on Burntwood Manor. The property taxes hadn't been paid since 1975. This meant, that the local government had taken possession of the property in lieu of payment. The last owner, Lucia Mathias had sold the mansion through foreclosure hearings. As of now, the manor was listed as up for auction.

It was a typically humid spring morning as the kids met Brianna at her family's boat, the Simple Simon. She was already stocking the thirty-foot Sea Ray with fishing gear and had packed a decent lunch. Brianna was not a drinker, so there was no danger of alcohol related trouble.

They set out in midmorning for the island cove. Tim quickly found that he detested fishing, as did Shana. Laura, by the way, was thoroughly enjoying her first attempt with the hook, line, and sinker. Tim's amusement revolved around the way the girls were dressed.

The petite, blonde haired Shana, wore a pink and maroon bikini, not to be outdone, raven black haired Laura had chosen her favorite royal blue bikini, and the taller, stockier brunette, Brianna, opted for a common black, low cut, one piece suit. Tim stood out in his loud multicolored swim trunks, and a tacky multicolored Hawaiian shirt.

Despite the obvious distraction of the scantily clad girls, Tim was still silently going over the latest data set in his head involving the particle makeup of the Loracite. He hadn't yet separated all of the various elements within the Loracite samples.

After some more lame attempts at fishing, Tim settled near the front of the Simple Simon, sprawling out on its foremost deck. Laura couldn't resist giving him some grief. "Gee Tim, this officially makes you our 'bow bunny'." She playfully taunted. "Take your shirt off and catch some rays." Shana added her teasing as Brianna snickered.

"Great." Tim groused. "Did anyone catch anything?" Brianna shook her head. "Nope. Nothing larger than a horsefly had been biting." She quipped. "It's probably too late in the day. The best fishing is usually in the early morning." Laura shrugged. "Sorry."

"No biggie." Brianna replied graciously. "We can always cast some lines near sunset as well. Sometimes the fish will head up to the surface as the lake water cools." Suddenly, there was a distant rumbling of thunder. "Or not." Shana put in. "Hmm! Not liking that approaching storm." Brianna watched the darkening horizon carefully.

"Aww!" Laura sighed as she watched a quick flash of lightning. "Do we have to go back in?" Brianna tried to determine which way the storm was heading. Where they were, the bright sun was still beating down on their rapidly reddening skin. The humidity had gone up substantially.

"Let's just keep an eye on that squall line." Brianna reassured the skittish teens. "This time of year, these little thunderstorms pop up frequently. They might peter out, or head away from us, based on the wind direction. As of now, the storm is across the lake from us."

"Actually, it's officially lunchtime." Laura urged them. "Can we anchor near the center island?" Brianna was hesitant. "I'm not sure. Are you kids up for some rowing? The breakwater is probably to shallow for the Simple Simon to move in much closer to the isle."

"We can handle it." Laura smirked, knowing that she could row them across the entire lake and still not break a sweat. Still, for Brianna and Shana's benefit, she had to maintain appearances. Besides, Tim could certainly use some exercise. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at him.

"What?" Tim noted her mischievous look. "C'mon Tim, help Brianna and I toss the rowboat over the side." Laura directed. "Not just yet." Brianna chuckled. "Let's move in as close as we can to the breakwater. We'll drop anchor there." She gestured towards an out jutting rock formation at the island's southernmost edge.

"We might just as well cast a few lines by the rocks." Brianna suggested. "The fish love feeding on the below surface algae and moss." She baited two hooks as Tim stared at her wide-eyed. "What's the matter, Tim, never see a girl bait a hook before?" Laura teased her best friend.

"It's just that girls usually think that fish, insects, and worms are yucky." Tim defended as Brianna laughed heartily. "How else would I catch the fish, with lipstick and nail polish?" She gibed. "No, I s'pose not." Tim reddened, and it wasn't from the bright sunshine.

Shana sat next to Tim. "Are we having fun, yet?" She asked cynically. "Oh yeah! The open sea, beautiful women by my side, mosquitoes the size of airplanes, you betcha." Tim playfully sniped. As Laura and Brianna cast their lines into the surf near the rocks, Tim dragged Shana into a lengthy philosophical discussion.

He'd been informing her about his latest theories on evolution. Shana, though bored, listened politely. "Okay, if man evolved from apes, why aren't the apes still evolving?"

Shana finally countered, becoming a nearly even match for Tim. "What do you think, Laura?" Shana asked. "Huh?" Laura hadn't been paying them much attention. "I think that you are all talking so much, you're scaring the fish away." Brianna jabbed in fun. "We might as well drop anchor now and eat."

Brianna cranked up the twin 350 motors, guaranteeing that any fish would flee the area. She moved in as close as she dared to a pathway near the craggy, rocky edge of the cay. Laura checked on the thunderstorm, and it seemed to grow in size and darkness. Lightning crackled against the greenish brown horizon.


	14. Chapter 14: Burntwood Mansion

**Gold Wing** _The Mystery of Burntwood Manor_

**Chapter 3**

"Okay kids, here's the deal." Brianna began. "That storm is moving in our direction. We're not going to make it back to shore before it hits. It looks like we'll be lunching in the Simple Simon." Laura sighed with disdain. She could, of course, investigate the manor on her own, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun as dragging Shana, Tim, and Brianna up to the antique building.

"We could check out that mansion over there." Laura suggested, learning quickly how to manipulate her friends. "Isn't that private property?" Brianna narrowed her eyes in a squint against the ever-increasing wind gusts. "No. I already checked it out. It's up for sale in auction." Laura admitted. "Also, isn't the Simple Simon too close to the rocks in these gales?"

"Good point, Laura." Brianna agreed. "Okay. New plan. You'll get out here, and take your extra clothes and lunch pails up towards the manor. I'll back the Simple Simon off, and anchor her along the lower, rock free beach area near the breakwater."

"Thanks, B." Shana said, anxious to get off the boat as soon as possible. The thunderstorm now filled a full quarter of the sky behind them. The weather beaten pathway up the incline to Burntwood Manor zigged and zagged through some rough patches of brush.

Clearly, the Mathias family hadn't bothered to pay for or encourage any upkeep of the property. The paths were crooked and rocky, with intermittent odorous weeds popping up from every direction. Tim, Shana, and Laura glanced behind them and located the Simple Simon.

Brianna had guided the fishing boat to a rock free area as she'd stated. The winds began to whip the medium sized boat to and fro, and Brianna had her hands full dropping anchor and tying her down. Eventually, she secured the family pleasure craft, and painstakingly rowed ashore.

Excitedly, Laura led her friends up the path towards the property. It wasn't fenced off in any way. Clearly, the owners hadn't been expecting any random visitors. The old mansion looked to be in a serious state of disrepair. Windows were blackened with grime and mold, some were cracked, and the antique wooden frames had some points of damage and rot.

"Lovely." Shana remarked cynically. "Aww! The mansion just needs some tender loving care." Laura defended. "Or a wrecking ball." Tim added sarcastically. Behind them, lightning crackled across the sky, and the gale force winds stirred up small funnel clouds of dirt, pebbles, and assorted other debris. The arched doorway was off center but still in tact.

Laura approached the double doors, which looked to be made of mahogany or ebony. "Should we knock?" Shana asked nervously as the first few drops of rain pelted them. "I suppose, but it's most likely abandoned." Laura replied as she knocked heavily on one door scattering spiders and dust. The door hinge creaked open as a gust of wind blew up from the cay.

"That's creepy." Tim gulped. "No, that's an invitation from the spirits." Shana joked. "Nice!" Laura snickered. "That saves us the trouble of breaking and entering." She quipped.

"There's still the matter of trespassing, Laurie." Tim reminded them.

"I suppose you'll find out eventually." Laura's eyes gleamed. "What? What will we find out?" Tim's voice rose in panic. "That this mansion is haunted." Shana teased. "No!" Tim swallowed hard. Laura laughed as they crossed the threshold. "No. That I talked to Aunt Wanda, and I'm considering the Mathias Mansion as an investment property."

Shana and Tim stared at her blankly. "Did you win the lotto this week?" Shana commented. "Nope. I just glanced at it on line and saw that it was in foreclosure." Laura answered. "I can put a bid on it when it comes up for auction next month."

Shana's big blue eyes widened. "Why?" Laura surveyed the huge great room that they had stepped into, closing the creaky door behind her. "It would be fun to have a place of my own, don't you think?" Laura responded. "Uh, you would spend half of your life repairing it, and the other half paying for it." Shana criticized.

"Don't be so negative, Shana." Laura said as she glanced at a nearby wall checking for a light switch. Most likely, the electricity had been turned off or it would start a fire she second-guessed. "I'm stronger than I look." She added as her eyes went violet.

Tim coughed, aware that Laura had never told Shana or Brianna about her extraordinary powers. The curious teens wandered into the center of the foyer. "Ooh! Look at that chandelier!" Shana praised. The ceiling bowed slightly beneath the weight of the huge Tiffany style chandelier.

"That's probably an antique and is worth a fortune." Tim remarked. "Not if it falls on top of us and kills us." Shana was back to being negative again. Laura glanced up at the multilayered decoration. Shana did have a point, she mused. Item one, secure the chandelier, Laura noted.

"Lets walk closer to the walls away from the chandelier." Laura suggested sensibly. As their eyes became accustomed to the dark, the teens noted the large double staircase leading to the second level, and a smaller staircase leading to a third story.

"Neat decorations." Shana said, eyeing the twin gargoyles at the end of each staircase's railings. "I love them." Laura beamed. Each gargoyle was a least two feet high and nearly as wide. "Yeah, great decorating style, sort of like early Amityville Horror." Tim sniped.

"This is great! I can totally see myself living here." Laura twirled in place. "You know, Laurie, this place does seem to suit your personality." Tim remarked dryly. "All you need is to install a bat cave beneath the basement and you'll be all set."

Shana giggled, but Laura was already considering that possibility. Except that it would be called the Bird Cage or something, she mused silently. Gold Wing would definitely need a secret facility, especially if I intend to direct the Loracite flow straight here, she thought.

Just then a particularly nasty streak of lightning hit the water nearby, followed by a roaring, rolling thunder. "Yikes!" Shana gasped. "Storm's here." Laura deadpanned. "Do ya think?" Tim scowled. "I take it there's no electricity." He added.

"I'd be afraid to turn it on." Laura admitted. "We'll have to settle for lighting the old fashioned way." She walked over to the sooty fireplace mantle, and grabbed the antique candelabra. It had seven partially burnt candles on it. "I didn't bring any matches." Shana whined.  
"Never fear." Laura joked, as she whipped out a cigarette lighter, and lit each candlewick.  
"Terrific!" Tim grumbled as another flash of lightning and the subsequent explosive thunder rattled all the windows in the old mansion. "Now all we need is for Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein, and the Mummy to appear." Laura chuckled but Shana was ashen white.

"Quiet Tim, you're going to give Shana nightmares." Laura said half seriously. "Relax Shana, it's only an old house in need of repair." The skittish girl nodded absently. Some shutters slammed together startling Tim and Shana. Laura made another mental note: Replace or repair window shutters, check electricity, heating, and plumbing.

"Okay, where do we want to explore next?" Laura asked exuberantly. "We should just stay here." Tim volunteered. "We're not getting wet, and we were going to eat lunch, remember?" Laura sighed. "Fine. You two can stay here and scare each other. I'm going to check on my potential investment." Shana and Tim exchanged glances. "Hell no!" They said in unison.

Laura guided them towards a large room to their left. It had huge double doors, likely made of Oak, with intricate carvings along the doorframe woodwork. She pushed open the heavy doors and entered what appeared to be a library. Three full walls of the room were covered with shelving, completely filled with old, dusty, books.

"That's odd." Shana marveled. "Why didn't the last occupants take the books with them?" Tim laughed maniacally. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Because they're still here…at least in spirit!" Laura cracked up but Shana wasn't amused. "Shut it, Tim!" She snapped.

"I've got it!" Laura announced. "It was Colonel Mustard in the Library with a Candlestick!" Tim snickered. "Nice one, Laurie!" Shana stared at them like they'd lost their minds. Apparently, the well to do Shana from Brat Flats had never played nor heard of the game called 'Clue.'

Adding to the mystery, the library was fully furnished, including three expensive looking desks with Tiffany reading lamps, two leather couches, perhaps brown in color, though with the thick layer of dust on it one could barely tell, and two bluish colored chairs placed near the blackened fireplace. "They didn't take their furniture?" Tim was baffled.

"How long did you say that this place had been vacant?" Tim questioned Laura. "The last known owners left in the nineteen seventies. Since then the mansion was held up in probate court, and finally released for sale last year." She answered, feeling the mysteries adding up.

"They must have had money at some point." Shana observed. "The lights, and furniture look expensive." Tim's eyes widened. "Laurie, this is a gold mine. Think of how much you can get for this stuff on E Bay." Laura frowned. "I may not want to sell any of it." She defended.

Just then, a thudding noise was heard back in the great room near the entrance. "Aaah! What was that?" Tim jumped. "I hope it wasn't a body falling!" Shana said as she froze in her tracks. Laura sighed. "Idiots! Did you forget about Brianna?"

"In here, Bri!" Laura shouted back through the still open doors to the library. Silence. Now Laura was becoming suspicious. Were they truly alone?


	15. Chapter 15: Burntwood's Despair

Chapter 15

Laura walked back into the great room and saw no one. She did note a disheveled shutter that was flapping against the house in the gale force wind. Item three, fix the damn shutters, she mentally created a list of repairs needed for the mansion. "No Brianna, just wind." Laura reported to her skittish young friends.

Laura, Tim, and Shana ascended the left hand side staircase of the main hall. The lightning crackled across the sky, briefly illuminating the huge room. "What's taking Bri so long?" Shana whined. Laura didn't want to admit it, but she was worried about Shana's older cousin as well.

As the investigators reached the top of the carpeted, yet creaky staircase, Tim noticed an oddity. "Hey! Check out the hall floor tiles." He said as the girls turned to glance behind them. He rubbed his thin chin. "Unless I miss my guess, the tiles are black and white and arranged in a rough chessboard pattern."

Shana shrugged. "How can you see anything through all that dust and mildew?" Laura confirmed Tim's observation. "I guess that must've been the style in the nineteen sixties and seventies." Tim scoured the room from a higher vantage point. "The decorations throughout the great room match the black and white chess pieces as well. This is no accident. They were designed that way."

He pointed to a series of engraved images across the room. "Yeah, now I see that." Laura admitted. "That lamp stand resembles the dark side castle piece or Rook. The images on those bricks alongside the fireplace depict the white and black horse pieces or knights."

"This can't be a coincidence." Tim repeated. "The carvings in each of the stairway columns and rails show the rounded dark and white pawns. There's the circular topped dark side bishop, and white side castle or Rook." Shana sighed. "So the previous owners had a chess fetish. So what?"

Laura wondered if it was really that simple, or was some sort of message or hidden agenda involved? The white side bishop was also seen in a large piece of artwork near the great room's entrance. "Where are the kings and queens?" Laura asked no one in particular.

"They should be in the safest spot." Tim guessed. Laura narrowed her eyes, and focused her enhanced vision, allowing her eyes to flash violet. "There!" She pointed to an old, musty, dark tapestry that hung limply from the opposing wall. The white side king and queen were still visible despite the dim lighting, and mildew and dust filtered air. Its background appeared to be dyed in royal blue.

Tim hurried to the walkway that joined to two twisting, lengthy staircases. "Be careful Tim, these floorboards could be rotted." Shana warned. He waved an okay. "Here!" Tim announced. Another tapestry depicted the dark side king and queen. This tapestry was dyed in a dark, blood red color. It hung at an odd angle, occasionally flapping in the breezy location.

"Weird." Shana commented. "Maybe the Mathias's were eccentric?" Laura nodded. "They could certainly afford to be." Tim glanced around the room, and noted during a bright flash of lightning, that most, if not all of the family's furniture remained in place and intact.

"I wonder what happened to their personal fortune?" Tim began to look for a true mystery. "I don't know." Laura remarked. "The on line ads don't say. It just lists the basic auction price and some simple statistics about the house."

"Burntwood Manor had or has fourteen rooms, four bathrooms, including a formal dining room, servant's quarters, formal kitchen with meat locker, study, library, which we've just seen, and a conservatory." Laura parroted the highlights of the on line ad.

"What the hell is a conservatory anyway?" Shana wondered aloud. "It's sort of like a cross between a greenhouse for plants and a display area for artwork and fountains." Laura replied.

Tim carefully walked back down the right hand stairway and examined a huge stone gargoyle that sat atop a large cement perch next to the wall. "Lovely. He sort of looks like you, Laura." Tim quipped as he put his hand in the gargoyle's open mouth.

"Hello? What's this?" Tim was more puzzled than frightened. He had retrieved an old rusty key. "I wonder what this opens?" He mused as a loud noise distracted them. The front door had swung open and smacked against its frame. "Yikes!" Laura quickly zipped over to the door and secured it. The thunderstorm had hit the center island with full force.

The lightning was nearly constant, the winds howled, and the thunder continued to roll, frequently shaking the unsteady old house. The kids gathered in the center of the great room, amid the makeshift chessboard. "Hey brats!" A female voice startled them.

Brianna finally arrived, delighting in giving the younger teens a scare. "Laura, this place is a toilet!" She criticized. "Aww! It's not that bad! It's a fixer upper, remember?" Laura defended her potential lair. Brianna was soaked, and hadn't yet changed out of her swimsuit.

"Whatever!" Brianna said with some irritation. "Shana, you did bring my dry clothes with you, didn't you?" Her younger cousin nodded. "Yeah Bri, your gym bag is over there." She pointed to the old mahogany desk that sat near a corner of the library.

They returned to the library, and at first couldn't locate Brianna's bag. "Are you sure you put it down here?" She was ready to berate her younger cousin. The dust had been disturbed, but the bag wasn't in sight. "Here it is!" Tim picked up the greenish blue gym bag that had somehow made it across the room to another desk, possibly made of ebony wood.

Laura had seen Shana place Bri's bag on the first desk, but was becoming suspicious. At first she thought that Tim might be messing around with the girls, but he hadn't left her sight the whole time. Laura examined the footprints in the layer of dust on the green carpet, but they'd trampled around the entire library by now. She noted a dark hardcover book that was a bit out of place.

The book had no title on its spine, but was sitting at an odd angle on the bookcase, jutting out from the other books on the shelf. "No way!" Laura muttered. She grabbed the book, and sure enough, one smaller bookcase creaked open, revealing a dusty, cobweb infested door.

Shana gasped. Brianna looked puzzled, and Tim snickered. "That is so cool!" He commented excitedly. "I'm not really surprised." Laura remarked. "These old mansions probably have a dozen secret passageways. We don't know the true age of Burntwood Manor, but it makes sense that the place might have been used by smugglers or something."

"Who'd want to smuggle anything into a ratty old house, in the center of an ancient lake, in the middle of flyover country, far from any port, river dock, or miles from any meaningful installation?"

Brianna wondered aloud. Who indeed? Laura silently questioned.

"Okay. Who wants to go down the dark creepy passageway first?" Tim quipped. "Oh pu-lease!" Laura scoffed. "It's going to be my dark creepy passageway." She brushed the cobwebs off the entrance door and opened it. A musty, moldy scent made its way into the antique library.

"Phew!" Shana wrinkled her nose. "Hello Renuzit odor eaters!" Laura had to agree with that. Add to the list cleaning any and all passageways, she mentally checked it off. "Hey, before we head into the dungeon of doom, maybe we should eat?" Tim suggested. "Done." Laura confirmed.

The group waited for Laura to close the door and replace the trigger book, before venturing out into the great room. Shana excitedly filled Brianna in on their chess piece theories. "Slick. I would've never thought of decorating an antique manor with chess in mind." She commented.

Laura guided them into the formal dining room, which looked to be in fairly good shape. It may have had the advantage of being further away from any open or damaged windows. At the room's center, rested a huge oak formal dining table with place settings and chairs for eight to ten guests.

A cobweb-ridden candelabra sat on the table's center leaf. Laura admired a nearby antique china cabinet, which still contained about a dozen professionally decorated dishes and cups. Again, Laura silently considered why the Mathias family didn't claim their personal items. She could only reach one conclusion: the former owners either left in a hurry, or were forced to leave.

She knew a little about bankruptcies and foreclosures, but it seemed that someone would've made an attempt to claim the Mathias's furniture, if for no other reason than to sell it and pay off bills. Yet the mystique of Burntwood Manor continued.

"Okay, who wants to explore the kitchen?" Laura asked cheerfully. "I like this room." Shana fussed. "It seems to be in better shape than the rest of the house." Tim shrugged. "I'm all for checking the kitchen." He volunteered.

"I need to use the bathroom." Brianna announced. "I'm not sure if the plumbing works at all." Laura commented. "Ew!" Shana exclaimed. "It can't be any worse than some of the Port A Potty's we've been in at the beach or the carnival." Brianna reasoned.

"Remember to hover!" Tim snickered at his own crude remark. "You got that right." Brianna chuckled. "One more issue…toilet paper." Shana reminded them. "I'll find some." Laura said confidently. Brianna and Shana exchanged glances. "From where? It's not as if there's a Mega Mart Mall nearby on this ratty old island." Shana pointed out.

"Trust me." Laura smirked. "First we ought to find the washroom." She eagerly slipped through the French Doors that led to the Kitchen area. "Got it!" Laura returned in what seemed to them to be a blink of an eye. Tim shook his head. Laura wasn't being very careful about using her powers, he mused. Laura had cleaned the nearest restroom the best that she could.

There hadn't been any water pressure in the bathroom, so Laura had zipped out the back door, gathered some rainwater in a bucket, and filled up the antique white toilet tank with it.

She'd also had the time to find her gym bag and produce a spare roll of toilet paper from it. She'd already considered these possibilities.

"All set." Laura gestured for the others to follow her through the kitchen and into a good-sized bathroom. She'd lit a twelve-inch candle that she'd found in a storage closet, and placed it on the floor of the bathroom for light. "Thank you dear." Brianna praised, as she viewed the murky water at the bottom of the toilet bowl basin warily.

"My biggest problem is this swimsuit." Brianna complained. "I'm soaked, and have to change into my dry clothes." Shana handed Bri her gym bag. "I'll be out in a jiffy." Briana smiled as she ushered everyone out of the bathroom. Tim lingered behind and Laura kicked him lightly in the buttocks. "Brianna doesn't need your supervision to change her clothes." She admonished him.

"Shouldn't I stay behind and guard the bathroom?" Tim offered. Laura and Shana stared at him. "What?" Tim asked innocently. "Didn't you ever see those movies where the beautiful girl goes into a bathroom, takes off her clothes, and somebody kills her?"

"That's interesting, Tim." Laura decided to taunt him. "You need to relax, you're going to give Shana nightmares. I'm sure Brianna would think that you were being noble, and not simply being a perve. If you want to guard the washroom, be my guest. Shana and I will try and clean the dining room table and chairs."

The girls left Tim standing stoically, arms crossed, and guarding Brianna. Laura whipped out some paper towels and a small bottle of Pledge, emptying her gym bag contents onto the nearest antique chair. "You were planning to come here all the long, weren't you?" Shana asked as she narrowed her eyes. "Guilty as charged." Laura beamed.

The storm was whipping the rain, small hail, and twigs into a frenzy, as the gale force winds plastered the debris against the side of the house and its windows. Shutters rattled, and the wind howled through the old mansion wailing like a tortured soul.

After hurriedly cleaning up the dining room, the girls set up their lunch bags on the table. "Tim? Were you waiting to use the bathroom? You know Laura says that there are at least three more scattered throughout the house." Brianna spoke, as she emerged unscathed from the washroom.

Tim reddened, but offered no further comment. "Something sure reeks in here." She remarked, instinctively trotting through the kitchen to the antique white refrigerator. Brianna noted that the kitchen was meant to have a few subordinates within it. It was large, and there was ample space to prepare multiple meals simultaneously.

Tim saw several racks for utensils atop the cabinetry and the state of the art twentieth century cooking island revealed space for more utensils, including dishes and glassware. Brianna spied a professional grade dual bake stove, circa 1957, opposite the refrigerator. Dusty pots and pans still hung expectantly above the island's countertop.

"I dare you to look in the refrigerator." Tim challenged Brianna. "Ew! Are you sure that you want to do that?" Laura asked as she and Shana joined the others. Unfazed, Brianna opened up the refrigerator door. "Okay, here goes." She added. "Phew!" Everyone held their noses.

A few antiquated lumps of food wrapped in rusty aluminum foil were visible within the refrigerator. "Ugh!" Laura waved the putrid air away from her face. "Now we know what that foul smell was." Shana had closed her eyes fearing that old body parts would be found.

She grimaced as the odor made her eyes water. Tim was grossed out, but quickly closed the refrigerator and opened the freezer. They found much the same thing: a few old, moldy clumps of long dead food. "Okay. First I clean the refrigerator and freezer." Laura announced.

Bravely, Laura reached back into the freezer and grabbed the slimy protein, and tossed it into a nearby garbage pail. She hurriedly gathered the antiquated produce from the refrigerated section and added that to the garbage pail. "I'll be right back."

Laura picked up the garbage and zipped out the back door, depositing the foul mixture into a partially opened sewer cover. She stopped briefly to note that the sky surrounding them had lightened considerably, but it quickly assumed a sickly pale green color.

The storm system still wasn't through with them. They were in the heart of Mid-western tornado season, and Crater Lake, Nebraska, was well within the area known as tornado alley. Sure enough, in moments, twin waterspouts spun up from the seething lake to form sky-high miniature twisters. "Uh oh! We're in for it now!" Laura sped back into the house and secured the door.

"Hey kids!" Laura said excitedly. "I tossed our biology experiment food into the crapper, but we've got to grab our lunches and seek shelter towards the middle of the house or the basement. That storm just kicked up some waterspouts, and they're heading this way."

"Terrific!" Tim whined. "Laura, thanks for inviting us out on this wonderful day." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that the weather would go to hell?" Laura countered. "Speaking of hell, we should probably get away from these decrepit windows and finish exploring the house." Brianna urged. "That's the spirit!" Laura said enthusiastically.

"Please don't mention 'hell' and 'spirit' in the same paragraph." Shana complained, as Laura chuckled. "We'd better hustle before those twisters hit." Brianna added. "There are two more rooms adjacent to the kitchen, any ideas what they are?" Tim asked no one in particular.

"One ought to be the pantry." Laura replied. "The other may be a meat locker." Shana gulped. "I'm not going into the meat locker! That's where the bodies are hanging!" She was actually starting to get upset. Laura nearly doubled over with laughter. "What bodies, Shana?" Brianna argued. "Laura said that no one had been here since the nineteen seventies."

"If there were any bodies, they'd be dust or skeletons by now." Tim pointed out, though that didn't seem to help Shana's attitude any. "Okay, let's split up." Brianna suggested, turning her attention to Laura. "Shana and I will check the pantry, you and Tim check the meat locker."

Briana opened the pantry door, and it was fairly good sized, with four rows of shelves along each of the three walls. There was very little of anything in it. Shana breathed a sigh of relief. Brianna found a lump of food that had no smell. She flipped it out the pantry door onto the kitchen floor.

"This may have been a sandwich at one time." Laura commented as she passed the debris, and opened the meat locker.

Tim noted that there was a vague smell of old meat near the rear of the meat locker, which was roughly the same size as the pantry. Rusty meat hooks hung in rows above the large wooden counter that occupied the entire center of the room.

"Nothing a good dose of Lysol and some major spraying of Pledge can't cure." Laura remarked as she collected the variety of hatchets, axes, and serrated knives that were scattered throughout the meat locker. The odor Tim smelled seemed to come from behind the far meat locker wall.

Laura retraced her steps and carried all of the cutting and shearing implements out into the kitchen, tossing them unceremoniously into the filthy kitchen sink. Shana shuddered as she trailed Brianna, after they completed their pantry inspection.

The house began to shake; the windows rattle, and shutters slam as the twisters drew closer. "Okay, that's it for this part of the house." Brianna urged. "That storm is too close. Let's head into the center rooms." Laura led the crew through the kitchen and into the dining room. They grabbed their lunches and circled back through the main foyer and great room.

Tim had turned his attention to the overall mystique of Burntwood Manor, as he analyzed all they knew up to this point. "I don't get it, Laurie, why do you suppose the Mathias's left in a hurry?"

"It doesn't seem to make any sense." Laura agreed. "I just about tossed my breakfast after we found that greenish cheese wrapper from 1957 in the fridge." Shana whined. "Yeah, I thought that sandwich blob was going to make me hurl." Brianna added.

"It'll be great after a good and thorough cleaning." Laura remained positive. "You have your heart set on this, don't you Laurie?" Tim asked. "Yep. You'll see, after I get done with it, you won't be able to recognize the old mansion. I can't pass up that price."

"We haven't really tackled the upstairs yet, to say nothing of the Conservatory, Study, or Library with the secret entrance." Laura said as they edged away from the windows, and headed for the hallways on either side of the twin staircases. They padded across the chessboard floor, and started exploring the left hand stairway.

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	16. Chapter 16: Portraits

**Chapter 5**

The house shook as the gale force winds buffeted the walls, windows, and doors. The twin waterspouts were edging ever closer to them. "Does anyone else think that this is a bad idea?" Shana whined. "C'mon little cuz, where's your sense of adventure?" Brianna remarked.

"Should we head to the basement in case those twisters come ashore?" Shana asked timidly. Tim gasped. "No! Never go into the basement! Don't you watch late night horror movies? That's were the masked serial killer is, just waiting to claim another victim!"

Laura sighed. "Tim, don't be such a wuss! You're going to make Shana cry." Brianna snickered. "Shana is nearly eighteen years old, the only thing that makes her cry is when my aunt makes her clean the house and garage." Laura chuckled as she guided them towards the basement door.

"I'm all for eating and then investigating the exit." Tim grumbled. "Okay, lets find a more or less clean table away from the windows." Laura offered. They located a decent sized dinner table and four chairs near what Laura assumed was the servants' quarters.

They ate lunch as the storm continued to rage outside. After that, Laura was really inspired to investigate her potential investment. The four of them returned to the hall with the twin staircases. Along one hallway was a series of oil paintings, faded and dusty.

"Hey! Check this out!" Brianna pointed to the first of five huge portraits. She wiped away the cobwebs, sending the spiders scampering away. She read the description below the painting and above the gold and brown frame. "Stanton Mathias, in the year of our Lord, 1893."

The man looked to be in his forties, and was dressed in a smart black suit with a high collar, white ruffled dress shirt, black tie and boots, and held a riding crop in one hand, his left. Stanton also had what appeared to be a diamond-studded brooch with a large reddish gem in its center, pinned to his lapel. In the background was an open area, a brownish wheat field.

"What do you suppose he did with the riding crop?" Shana joked. "There are certainly no fields or horse paths on this island." Laura examined the portrait with her enhanced vision. "The picture was probably brought here from Europe, the riding crop says 'made in Bristol'." She said.

Tim put his hand on his forehead. Laura was being really careless with her powers. "How could you see that?" Brianna squinted, trying to read the riding crop. "I don't know." Laura realized her faux pas. "It must've been all those carrots Aunt Wanda made me eat growing up. Good eyes."

"I wonder how old this mansion really is." Brianna mused. Laura shrugged. "The website didn't include the approximate date of construction. Most of Falcon Claw and the surrounding area had been farmland for generations, according to my Aunt Wanda. It wasn't truly settled until the late 1800's. The house doesn't exhibit any western frontier décor."

"I'm no expert of course." Tim began. "But I'd guess that it was built around the 1920's or a bit earlier. The place seems to be full of old style building materials. The woods used in the furniture and construction weren't native to the Midwest. They'd have to have been brought here from the east coast or Europe."  
"That brings me to a new question." Tim added. "Who would build a huge mansion on an island in the middle of farming country? Most of the people around here weren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Who would the Mathias's associate with?"

"Maybe they were just trying to get away from it all." Laura offered. "Perhaps using it as a vacation home." Shana nodded but something was still bothering her. "So, why didn't they take or sell their furniture before they moved…or died?"

Laura considered the morbid possibility that the Mathias family had died right here. If so, then why hadn't the relatives claimed any rights to sell the furnishings? The next portrait was of a severe looking woman in typical early 1900 garb.

The woman was wearing a white and beige high collared dress. She sported a large white umbrella, and a matching brooch to Stanton's was pinned to her chest lapel. "Hmmm. Gertrude Mathias, in the year of our Lord, 1899." Laura read the portrait's explanation.

"Gertrude?" Brianna mocked. "Why weren't women named something normal like Lisa, or Anne?" Laura snickered. "I'm sure some were, Bri." Gertrude's eyes seemed to be surrounded by a yellowish glow. Laura wasn't sure if it was a trick of the candlelight, or the way that the artist had painted her. In the background, they saw a dark and active seascape.

Next along the wall were two more portraits, somewhat smaller than the others, and painted in a completely different style. "Here are some more, guys." Brianna pointed out. "Let's see. Bradford Vacilus, 1926." That was the nearest one. "Lillian Mathias, 1928." She added.

Laura blew the dust off of both pictures. "Yuck!" Shana commented. "Bradford was no _Brad Pitt_, that's for sure. Dude was ugly." Tim examined the next portrait. "Yeah, but Lilly was a babe." He commented. Lillian had lengthy curled blonde hair and a wasp like figure. "Probably a gold digger." Shana remarked. "I take it Lillian is Stanton and Gertrude's daughter."

"Makes sense." Laura agreed. "Then who was Vacilus?" Shana shrugged. "Bradford looks like a meanie. Maybe he was the black sheep of the family." Laura examined both portraits closely. She noted two oddities: A label on Vacilus's suit jacket that stated 'Knightsbridge,' and a small black chess piece, the dark queen, she guessed, in the background of Lilly's picture.

"Hmmm." Laura reminded herself that she couldn't expect the others to see the same detail in the portraits that she did. They seemed to have a pattern – the chessboard again. There was more to this whole odd story, she was sure of it.

Vacilus's outfit was typical of the 1920's, a black suit, white ruffled shirt, black slacks and highly polished shoes. The one distinction they noted was the black bowler hat that Bradford wore.

He sported the popular mutton sized sideburns from the era. In his left hand was a book. The title was large enough for Brianna to see. "Laura, why would Bradford pose for a picture with a book?" She investigated that further. The book's title was 'My Favored…' something. The artist had painted Bradford's hand covering the rest of the title.

Laura reexamined Gertrude's portrait, and found something else. The angle of her parasol bothered Laura. Why was it facing the painter, and not facing back over Gertrude's shoulder like one would expect it to be?  
Sure enough there was writing on the parasol top. Normal eyesight couldn't have picked it up. Anyone would have to have some type of enhanced vision, like with a magnifying glass or microscope. Laura silently read the inscription: 'The code must be adhered to'

Another mystery! Laura quietly mused. The code of what, code of honor? She guessed. Upon examining Lilly's portrait, she also found a key in the woman's right hand. That was not there by accident. Someone, maybe the artist, was using his paintings to send a message, but to whom?

The last two portraits were of Lucia Mathias, and Martin Mathias, dated around 1957. This artist's style was completely different from either of the previous ones. The canvas was painted with watercolors, and Lucia was portrayed, sitting in a beautiful garden.

Martin was painted inside the house, likely the study, where they hadn't really explored yet. Laura located two more chess pieces in the pictures. Lucia's garden had the white queen chess piece painted into the side of a vase full of beautiful flowers along the edge of the patio.

Martin's piece was odd. In his portrait, a red king chess piece was placed on a bookshelf next to some books which spines faced away from the artist's point of view. That wasn't there by accident either, Laura assumed. Yet there was no red king chess piece that she knew of.

Thunder rattled the old mansion to its foundation. "Maybe we better keep moving." Tim urged. They left the corridor full of family portraits and made their way into the room furthest from the twin stairways. It was probably the study, Laura guessed.

It was filled with musty old books, dusty wooden shelves, and two mahogany desks complete with matching chairs. The difference between the study and the library was that the study had two separate levels of books and bookshelves. A five stair wooden ladder led to the upper level. It was in surprisingly good condition. All it needed was to be cleaned and dusted.

There was also a two-cushion love seat, and what they recognized as a secretarial desk in one corner. The old business desk had a rolled down top, several pigeonholes for letters, and an antique well for an inkbottle and blotter placed at arm's length from the chair.

"This room had electricity." Tim observed, spotting the wall plug near the armoire. "Tim, don't forget electricity was invented in the late nineteenth century." Laura pointed out. "It stands to reason that the mansion would have decent electrical access."

"It still seems weird that all this stuff would still be here, and in reasonably good shape." Shana mentioned as she examined a wall of books without titles on their spines. "Hello! What's this?" Laura parroted the famous _Sherlock Holmes _line. She'd found a book titled 'My Favored Guests', the book from Bradford Vacilus's portrait.


	17. Chapter 17: Passage

**Chapter 17**

"Maybe the Mathias's and Vacilus's didn't have any children to pass the mansion and its belongings down to." Shana speculated as Laura opened the guest book. She flipped pages to the last entry on the dingy, yellowed paper. The ink was beginning to fade out.

"February 13th, 1957." Laura read. "Leandra and I are leaving for Munich, West Germany. Will send regrets." Tim's eyes widened. "Regrets? About what?" Shana sighed. "Oh, I don't know, maybe about someone dying." Brianna nodded. "Morbid, but it makes sense."

Laura's eyes went wide next. "Leandra?" She examined the writing more closely. "I have a great aunt named Leandra Lake." Tim whistled. "That's some coincidence. Is she still alive?" Laura gasped. "No one knows for sure. My parents may have known what happened to her."

"Aunt Wanda says that Leandra moved to Europe, and the family lost track of her. She'd married a wealthy European landowner. After the 1960's, Leandra stopped writing. We never heard from her again." Laura's Loracite laced heart began to race.

"The landowner mysteriously disappeared." Laura narrowed her eyes to check on the faded scripting. "Perhaps he pissed someone off in Europe, and they silenced him." Shana guessed. "Now we're still reaching a bit, but the pieces to the mystery could be here in the house." Laura added. "Check on some of the previous pages." Brianna suggested.

"February 2nd, 1957." Laura continued. "Leandra and Elliot Rosenbluth, out of New York, came to stay with us." Tim was rubbing his chin, which was beginning to grow a bit of peach fuzz hair. "Maybe this old mansion was a vacation getaway resort for local aristocrats?" He pondered.

"Why would any wealthy people want to come to an out of the way place like this?" Shana wondered aloud. "There's nothing touristy to do around here." Briana contributed. "Even the fishing opportunities are mediocre at best." Shana shrugged. "They could've been eccentrics."

Laura quickly leafed through the pages toward the beginning of the book with her speedy enhanced vision. "Here's an important date." She settled on one. "December 5th, 1941, two days before Pearl Harbor." Laura read aloud: "Things are not going well in Europe, dozens of our friends are escaping with nothing but the clothes on their backs."

"There's a possible European tie in." Tim observed. "Who actually owned the Guest Book?" Brianna inquired. Laura located the first page. "Anton and Celine Vacilus welcome you to our humble home." She read. "The page has an indentation…of a chess piece, the white king."

"Anton was most likely the son of Bradford Vacilus, but we have no clue as to who Celine was before she married him." Laura sighed. "This tells us that the Vacilus family owned the mansion during World War II." Tim pointed out. "They could've been the ones who modernized Burntwood Manor, and decided on the décor, specifically, the chess board theme."

"There's more." Laura gulped. "Not to be stereotypical, but most of the surnames have a decidedly European pattern, like Rosenbaum, Kreitis, Padvorski, and Seinfeld." Tim smirked. "Jerry stayed here?" He quipped. Laura rolled her eyes. "Maybe his parents did, say in 1943?"

"Lets check the facts: Someone who was a wealthy European built this mansion in the early 1900's. It's far away from any major cities…" Laura summed things up. "If you were going to hide from the Nazis, where would you feel safest?" She paced back and forth, book in hand.

Tim smiled, following Laura's logic. "In the middle of the other most powerful nation in the world, America." Laura snapped her fingers. "Bingo!" She exclaimed. "What backs that assumption up is that a majority of the guests stayed here from 1941 through 1945. The entries slack off until the last one in 1957."

"How big is this place, really?" Shana inquired. "Fourteen total rooms that I know of, but the website lacked a good amount of detail." Laura replied. "They could've slept seven couples comfortably, and shared the bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, etc."

"Sort of like a Bed and Breakfast." Brianna commented. "If our theory is correct, the Vacilus's hid couples persecuted by the Nazis for a substantial fee, I'd imagine." Tim added. "That could explain some of the family's wealth."

"This is all fascinating, but what do we do next?" Shana asked impatiently. "Keep exploring." Laura urged. "Let's check the next room." She replaced the Guest Book in its empty shelf space, and headed down the dusty corridor. It still smelled dank and musty.

"Nice windows." Brianna mocked, as the lightning continued to flash in the blackened skies above. "There are so many." Shana observed. "It's a miracle that none of them had been broken or smashed over the years." Tim said. "This is the Conservatory, a type of greenhouse." Laura informed them. The sills were large, and jutted away from the steel framed windows.

Laura examined one window, and located a metal hand crank. It should easily open once I get the rust off, she mused. The teens watched the flooding rains wash across the glass panes, illuminated by the frequent lightning. Shana edged along the opposite side of the room.

A ground-shaking rumble of thunder echoed throughout the spacious room. Above them, a few mostly glass skylights rattled. "Aaah!" Shana screamed. "There's someone out there!" She quickly backed away from the window, nearly tripping over Tim on her way to the center of the room. "Don't be ridiculous!" Brianna chastised her younger cousin.

Laura investigated the source of Shana's fright and laughed. "That's a gargoyle, or grotesque!" Shana was shivering, as she held onto Tim's back. "Yeah it is grotesque." He agreed. "It has a purpose, as they all do." Laura explained patiently. "The gargoyles that lined the outer rim of the house are used to direct rainwater to the gardens, and avoid the pooling of moisture on the roof."

"These, though much larger, perform the same function." Laura squinted as the next flash of lightning brought more detail to the area. With her enhanced vision, she was able to map out the Conservatory, and its surrounding courtyard. "I bet this was really pretty when all of the flowers were in bloom." She commented wistfully, recalling the yard garden her deceased parents had.

"Now the window boxes are filled with overgrown plants, and muck." Laura sighed. Items next on the list: clean up and restore the courtyard gardens and greenhouse, she mentally noted. "Let's move on." She urged with disdain. Even with superior powers, Laura still had a lot of work to do.

The next room rimmed the courtyard, and appeared to be a type of lounge. There was a much cleaner fireplace with fancy stonework surrounding its mantle. A large shelving unit towered across from it with a number of souvenirs and knickknacks still in place, though dust covered.  
A few sofas ringed the room's center. This room was in much better condition than the others. Shana gasped. A frayed carpet between the sofas was decorated in a chessboard pattern.

Laura followed Shana's gaze. "Well, at least the Vacilus's were consistent." She remarked. "What's the exact purpose of this room?" Brianna asked suspiciously. Laura shrugged. "If they were rich, did they really need purposes for every room?"

"My guess is that they needed some room to get away from the other couples that may have been living here at the time." Tim postulated. "Did you feel that?" Shana held her hand lower to the ground. "It's a cool, damp, draft. I felt it on my legs."

"Maybe there's a window open?" Brianna offered. Laura walked over next to Shana and felt the same breeze. It was coming from behind the tall display cabinet. "Don't tell me, let me guess, a secret passage." Tim scowled. Laura glanced behind the cabinet.

There was no outline of a doorway. "Not so far." On a whim, she pushed the knickknack shaped like a Nazi soldier goose-stepping, down. It receded into the shelf, and across the room, behind the fireplace, the mantle shifted, revealing another dark, windy passage. Laura felt the wall in back of the display cabinet. It was cold and damp. "Must be a leak somewhere." She said.

"How cool!" Brianna beamed. "Let's check it out!" The curious teens grabbed a candelabra and ventured into the dark passage.


	18. Chapter 18: Dark Passage

**Chapter 18: **_Dark Passage_

Laura led the way into the darkness. "You guys, be careful on these steps. They seem to be all slimy." Tim was in the middle of the group. "Why would stairs be slimy far inside the house?" He wondered aloud. "Because of the giant slime monster." Brianna needled.

Laura snickered. The staircase turned towards the back end of the house as they descended. "I suppose this leads to the dungeons?" Shana quipped. "I can't see why the Vacilus's would need a dungeon if they were all about helping people." Brianna commented.

The stairway sloped to a platform, and a crooked door. "Does that lead to the basement?" Tim guessed. "Probably." Laura wasn't sure. "I'll definitely have to get a hold of the blueprints to the house before I buy it." Tim sighed. "You're dead set on buying this beast aren't you?"

"Tim, don't use 'dead' and 'beast' in the same sentence while exploring a spooky old house." Shana playfully teased. Laura chuckled. "It would certainly be fun on Halloween!" She gibed, opening the partially unhinged door. It led to a dark, damp room without any other visible exit. "Dead end." Brianna quipped. "There she goes again." Shana complained.

"That was a disappointment." Laura said with disdain. "Wait. What's that on the far wall?" Brianna brought over the lit candelabra. "Is that a religious symbol?" She inquired. "It looks like a crucifix." Tim gulped. "That's it! That's the crypt of Dracula!" He feigned panic.

"Don't be ridiculous." Shana chastised. "Everyone knows that Dracula lived in Romania. I doubt if he would've shown up in the middle of American flyover country." She quipped. Laura examined the image closely. "Yeah, it's definitely a crucifix. If you check the surrounding wall, it could very well be a crypt. The crucifix is centered within a box shaped outline."

"Open it!" Brianna urged excitedly. "Are you sure you're ready for that?" Laura cautioned. "I'm not!" Tim stated emphatically. Shana, though frightened, couldn't resist a peek inside, if the crypt would even open. "Don't worry Tim, we'll protect you." She joked.

Laura ran her fingers along the edge, tracing the box lines all the way around. She couldn't very well use her superior abilities in front of everyone. "Let's try this." She smirked. Laura pressed the exact center of the crucifix. Sure enough, the box shape section receded into the wall.

It wasn't, in fact, a crypt, but a hidden compartment. Laura heard the rusted old gears squeal as the machinery slowly pulled the wall section backwards. The section was actually a two-foot high by two-foot wide by two-foot thick cement cover. Below it, lay a large, heavy looking book.

"Okay. Why all the melodrama for a creepy old book?" Tim asked worriedly. "Why not just toss it into the shelving in the library, study, or even a bedroom drawer?" Laura grinned. "Duh! It's a secret book. Obviously, the owners didn't want anyone else getting a hold of it."

"Well, pick it up!" Brianna urged. Laura's eyes sparkled as she reached into the compartment. Spiders, thousand-leggers, and maggots scurried away from the compartment and down the walls, startling Tim and Brianna. Shana ignored the insects, and concentrated on the book.

"Aaaah!" Laura screamed, scaring everyone. She'd picked up the book, and felt a pressure pad latch snap closed. Immediately, the cement block closed in on her hands. Her super powered reflexes prevented her from any injury, as she knew they would.

She pretended to scream as if the wall block had crushed her hands. Laura let her frightened friends panic for a few seconds before allowing the block to close up the compartment. "Oh my God!" Tim hollered. Laura snickered as she placed the book in front of them. "Sorry! I couldn't resist!" Brianna and Shana playfully punched Laura's arms. Tim was ghost white.

"I was about to have a heart attack!" Tim yelled. "That's okay. I'd have had Shana give you CPR and mouth to mouth!" Brianna taunted. "Pass!" Shana chuckled. "That's Laura's job!" She needled. "Hardly." Laura laughed. Tim realized how foolish he was. As far as he knew, Laura was basically indestructible, unless she'd let her Loracite flow dwindle down.

"So what's the book title?" Tim asked after he'd calmed his frayed nerves. Laura blew the dust and spiders off the book cover. "No title. It's just a huge leather bound book with a silver wolf's head buckle keeping the pages intact, and the covers together." She informed them.

"May I?" Shana asked. Laura handed her friend the book. Shana carefully opened the wolf's head buckle, and slid the leather binding back. The book smelled old and musty. Shana opened the cover and stared at the fading print. "What's it say?" Brianna prodded her cousin.

"Ye who'll read this book, must take it to heart." Shana read aloud. "The Olde Ones worry, though surely a pleasure be. Twill make ye see that which is yet unseen." Laura glanced at Shana skeptically. "Get out! Let me see." She read the same thing aloud. "I knew it! The book is cursed!" Tim's voice rose. "It's a book, genius! It can't be cursed." Brianna scoffed.

"If you don't like it, you could always throw it out." Shana grumbled. "Hell no!" Laura protested, giving the book back to Shana. "I could sell it on E Bay!" Tim chuckled. "Yeah, a book with no title, creepy and old. That will fetch a great price." He said sarcastically.

Shana flipped to the next page. "Whoa! What the hell language is this?" She commented. "It looks like gibberish. Either that, or the someone that wrote it was dyslexic." Laura glanced over Shana's slim shoulder. At first she thought that it was Kryptonian, but after examining it more closely, the writer used English letters, just not in the proper place or order.

"Check this out." Shana smirked. "_Traeh ot egassem sti ekat tsum koob siht daer ohw uoY_" She read aloud. "What?" Tim scowled. "Wait! It's backwards." Shana determined. "You who read this book must take its message to heart." Laura rolled her eyes.

"Terrific, now creepy old books are giving us summer reruns as well." Tim grumbled. "Laura, how much do you want for the book?" Shana asked politely. "Nothing. You can have it. Besides, technically, I don't own the house yet." Gold Wing replied. "There doesn't seem to be another way out of this room." Brianna observed.

"You mean we're trapped?" Tim panicked. "No, genius, we have to go back the way we came." Laura corrected. Shana began to study the book closely. "Backwards books with no titles, secret passages, antique furniture…what kind of people lived here?" She added absently.

"_Terces eht laever_." Shana muttered. "What the hell does that mean?" Laura questioned. "Let's see…backwards it means 'reveal the secret'." Shana informed them. Instantly, a new doorway appeared behind the wall clock above the old reading table. "Oh crap!" Shana nearly tossed the book on the floor. "It is magic!" Laura scowled. "I doubt that. We probably just missed the door."

"Another secret door, and hidden passage!" Shana complained. "We have no idea how big this mansion truly is. What if there are passageways leading all the way through the hillside and out onto the other side of the island?" Laura thought that Shana made a valid point.

"Okay everyone, Shana's right." Gold Wing admitted. "I'll get a set of blueprints from the records office on the mainland. If one exists, it would be a matter of public record." Brianna nodded. "So we'll wrap up our mystery tour in a few minutes?"

"Sounds like a plan." Tim agreed. "Let's hope the storm lets up and Brianna's boat is undamaged." The kids made their way back through the creepy house, and out the front door. As luck would have it, the storm had let up, and the Simple Simon was docked near the closest sand bar to the house. It appeared to have had no ill effects from the unstable weather.

Laura glanced back at Burntwood Manor, knowing that she would do everything in her power to acquire the mysterious old mansion. Shana's book was a matter of concern for her, though. Laura knew that magic existed after a few encounters with Clark Kent's friend, Zatanna.

Laura wondered if she shouldn't just ask for the book back. Her hope was that Shana would tire of it, and toss it into a corner somewhere. Only time would tell. Brianna sailed the Simple Simon back to the Falcon Claw port, and the kids parted company.

After completing her chores for Aunt Wanda, Laura rested briefly, drank a Loracite laced shake to keep up her supernatural energy, and zipped back to Burntwood Manor that night. She could always defend herself against any possible injury, or so she assumed.

Laura reentered the mansion, and immediately sped upstairs. They hadn't explored the upper levels of the house at all. There were supposed to be four bedrooms, and three bathrooms on that level, and another room or two in the attic level.

She stopped in the first bedroom, and to her surprise, the room was virtually empty. There was a single oak wood desk without a chair leaning up against the far wall. It was in poor shape, but could've been worse. The three windows in the bedroom had been left partially open.

This caused a good amount of weather damage to the antique windowsills, and ratty brown curtains that were torn and tattered. Laura forced all three windows closed. They squealed as the rusty rollers moved for the first time in probably thirty years.

Laura made her way to the desk and checked every drawer. They were empty, however, one of her fingers had tripped a release lever. A hidden compartment snapped open, revealing a musty old black book. She opened it and read the preface. "Here lies the Path to Eden." Laura read aloud. The book contained notes and detailed maps to an island. "Fascinating." She said.

next up - _Path to Eden_


	19. Chapter 19: Path to Eden

Chapter 19: _Path to Eden_

Laura sped right over to Tim Servo's house book in hand. The self-proclaimed geek immediately read from the first few pages of the mysterious book. "Poetry? Isn't that sort of lame?" He questioned his high school friend. "It's called The Mariner's Call." Laura informed him.

"_Long ago the pirates sailed the ocean blue. As the goat's head divides the sea, many a sailor should beware. Where trade winds blind the ocean true, and godheads are locked in an everlasting stare. Down Tortuga way, this is where the god's take heed. Many a good man was left to bleed. My crew was just, but chose to bind me. This is where you'll always find me."_ Tim read aloud.

"It's not the best poetry that I've ever read." He critiqued. Laura smirked. "What?" Tim prodded. "Nothing." Laura made some effort to hold her tongue. "You read poetry?" She couldn't resist. Tim sighed. "I'm a geek, remember?" Laura smiled brightly. "No, I think it's sweet."

"It's actually a riddle." Tim analyzed. "Starting with Tortuga, which is a South Pacific island that sits near Chile in South America. Other islands in the vicinity include Tahiti, and the Marquesas. The godheads locked in an everlasting stare, are obviously the stone godheads on Easter Island."

"Where the goat's head divides the sea, refers to the invisible line south of the Equator from us called the Tropic of Capricorn. So Capricorn, being a Zodiac sign, is symbolized by a charging, horned goat." Tim concluded. "It's a type of triangulation between Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands, and Tortuga."

Laura considered all this. "It's a type of map, then? Hence the title: Path to Eden." Tim agreed. "Yes, and there's more. These symbols are latitudes, longitudes, and degrees." He pointed to a series of numbers at the bottom of the page. Each series contained three distinct quantities. "I would submit that this is a triangulated map to a specific island." Tim deduced.

"Now I'm curious. Are we talking buried treasure here?" Laura guessed. "I didn't see any specific references to any type of treasure, it may be just a point of Archaeological interest." Tim concluded. "Did this story come with an author or writer?" He asked flipping the old book around in his hands. "No. It may be a diary of sorts." Laura said logically.

"Can you pinpoint an exact location of this alleged island?" Laura inquired. "Sure. That's no problem. I take it you're off to investigate?" Tim asked. "Were you planning to hotwire a yacht and rip off some gasoline for it?" Laura shook her head. "I'm not sure, yet. I don't know if I can swim that far, even with a substantial burst of Loracite."

"You could always ask our resident alien buddy if she'd like to go with?" Tim suggested.  
"I hate to bother Kara with what could be a wild goose chase." Laura conceded. "What else does the blonde ET have to do, besides moon over Jimmy Olsen and Dick Grayson?" Tim said bitterly. "Uh, I don't know, Tim, save the world perhaps?" Laura retorted.

"You sound like you need to get away for a while, Tim-ster." Laura offered. "Can't you tell your parents that you're going on Spring Break with me for some sex, and drunken hooliganism?" She teased. "Naw! They'd never buy it!" Tim chuckled. "No, I s'pose not." Laura grinned thinly.

"If I tell them it's educational, they might go for it." Tim admitted as the wheels began to turn in his head. "We might learn something by accident." Laura prodded. "Tell them about the Easter Island heads and such." Tim nodded. "They'll ask where I got the money from."  
"Tell them that you've been pimping me out!" Laura laughed hysterically. "Yeah, I could just see the expression on their faces. Actually, my dad might be proud of me." Tim added. "Okay, TMI!" Laura smirked. "Really!" Tim agreed. "Even so, how would we get there?"

Laura thought about that for a moment. "I have to get to the bank that holds my trust fund anyway. I could nab enough money to book us a flight to Tahiti. We can grab a yacht tour to the Galapagos. From there, I can get us to this mysterious island. The airlines are desperate for money in this lousy economy. We'll find decent tickets on line."

"You're going to raid your trust fund on the whim of the writings from a musty old book?" Tim was incredulous. "Yes." Laura replied. "I'm going in to see the realtor about getting Burntwood Manor out of hock, anyway. After that, Aunt Wanda's lawyer will handle the paperwork."

Tim shook his head. "Laura, you are something else!" She snickered. "Don't you forget it!" Laura said as she pinched his cheek, purposely to annoy him. "Hey, this little trip to Tahiti could be a big bust. At least we'll come back with a decent tan." She lowered her voice. "In the meantime, Gold Wing needs a hideout, and Burntwood Manor is it."

"Are you going to rename it Gold Wing Manor?" Tim quipped. "Maybe." Laura joked. "We'll see. Of course, that would defeat the purpose of having a secret identity. Lake Manor?" Tim shook his head. "Too generic!" Laura rubbed her thin chin. "Crater Lake Manor?" Tim scowled. "Oh well, we can kick it around on our Tahiti trip."

Later that day, Laura set the events in motion. A week or so afterward, the two young adventurers were winging their way to Tahiti. "One thing that still bothers me from the poem, is that line about 'many a good man was left to bleed'." Tim shuddered.

Laura dismissed his concerns with a wave. "It's always about blood. No big deal! Any good pirate story worth its weight in doubloons has some blood oaths in it." Tim wasn't convinced. "What about the line 'my crew chose to bind me, that's where you'll find me'?"

Laura shrugged it off. "Sounds like the crew mutinied against the captain. The book had one old faded date on it, September 4, 1821. That may be significant." She posed. Tim slept for the rest of the flight, Laura, however was lost in thought. _Could this Path to Eden be worth their effort_?


	20. Chapter 20: Path to Eden2

**Chapter 20** - _Path to Eden_

After Tim and Laura landed in a warm and humid Tahiti, dozens of natives tried to assail them, hoping the obviously American tourists would spend some money with them. Harmless merchants, bordered by all manner of denizens lined the airport exit lanes. Even Laura was overwhelmed by the sales wave.

Alcohol, drugs, prostitution...all were available to the alleged wealthy mainland tourists. Tim and Laura hurried past the diverse crowd, seeking the relative safety of the decently secured airport terminal. Once they acquired their battered and bruised luggage, the inquisitive teens settled into seats at a fairly calm outdoor café. The sandwiches, though slightly overpriced, stilled their hunger.

"Tim, this is basically what any spring break adventure would be like." Laura observed. "I've heard from some friends in Metropolis, namely Bart and Oliver, that Tahiti is a more high end destination than other spring break facilities." Tim was nervous, but slowly calmed down as he ate.

"You told them that we were coming here?" Tim was skeptical. "Yes. I mentioned it to Clark and Kara as well. I didn't tell them why we were coming here. I assumed that they'd make fun of us." Laura admitted. "Well, what's next?" Tim asked warily. "We'll hop a smaller plane to Tortuga. From there, we can likely charter a boat that would take us to the coordinates in the diary." She explained.

"Think we'll find anything?" Tim scoffed. "I hope so. Otherwise, this will have been a huge waste of time and money." Laura responded. A tall, thin, dark skinned woman, apparently in her mid to late thirties, approached the obvious newcomers. "Hello kids!" She stopped at Tim and Laura's table. Laura was ready for a fight, but soon gave the woman the benefit of the doubt.

The stranger tossed her head back, allowing her dread locks to flip freely over her shoulder. "Hello?" Laura replied politely. "I am Nashika. I live near Tortuga. Excuse my insolence, but I overheard your travel plans. Can I interest you in a boat ride anywhere in de area?" Nashika aggressively pulled up a café chair to the table. It's metal legs squealed on the stone floor, causing Laura to wince.

Nashika's face had definite pacific islander features. Her eyes narrowed, giving her an Asian appearance, but she also bore the skin tone and profile of an Afro-Caribbean local. "I know de area like de back of m'hand." Nashika boasted, angling for her sales pitch.

"I can take you two love birds into any cove or island you prefer." Nashika glanced from Tim's stunned face to Laura's skeptical one, trying to mentally feel out her potential customers. "If de price is right of course." Nashika added as Laura had expected. "Of course." Laura agreed.

"We can discuss it." Laura hedged, startling Tim. Nashika's eyes lit up when Laura gave her the opening. "I know of many romantic island getaways where dere is no one for miles." Nashika began her pitch. "We were particularly interested in an island called Tears of The Soul." Laura had taken the time to translate the Asian Pacific phrase that she'd read in the Burntwood Manor diary.

"Tears of the Soul?" Nashika echoed, afraid to admit that she'd never heard of it. Laura read Nashika's blank expression. "Here. I took the trouble to locate the island by its coordinates, longitude, and latitude." Laura handed the tour guide a store bought map with a big red X where the isle should be.

"Oy! X marks de spot, eh?" Nashika tried to make up for her lack of knowledge by being cute and outgoing. "Yes. Yes. I know where dis is." Nashika examined the map carefully.

Laura doubted Nashika, assuming that she'd literally do anything to make a sale. In her mind, any boat would do to get them closer to the Tears of Soul island. "What do you think, Nashika?" Laura prodded, trying to get a price out of the native tour guide. "Okay, I can do dis. My ship, The Dahlia, can make dis island easily. Though, I don't think it's a bery romantic place."

"We're mostly interested in exploring, not romance." Laura smirked as Tim reddened, unsure whether embarrassment or the tropical heat caused Tim's rapid change in color. "Do a lot of people go to the Tears of the Soul island?" Tim finally got into the conversation.

"No, not typically." Nashika hedged. "Dis island is bery rough. A lot of jagged craggy rock formations, and it is not particularly pretty. I could say dat its about average." Laura still assumed the Nashika was lying to make a sale, but for now, she was willing to trust the dark skinned sailor.

"Let's talk price." Laura directed, instantly, Nashika grew serious. "Okay, how long do you kids plan to stay on Tears of Soul?"Laura shrugged. "It depends how interesting the island is. What are your rates for delivery and pick up?" Nashika seemed to be mentally calculating the fees.

"I can take you two dere for two hundred American dollars." Nashika proposed. Naturally, the native tour guide expected the teens to bargain. Tim's eyes lit up. That was almost the amount of air fare each of them had paid! Tim mentally groused. Laura beat him to the punch.

"That's a bit much for a trip." Laura said cooly. "How long would it take to get there from here?" Nashika was unflappable. "It can take about two hours to get dere, if da currents and da gods are wit' us." She replied. "Well, the gods can book your ride." Laura said sharply. "We'll keep looking. Thank you for your time." Nashika's eyes went wide. "Here's da ting..."

The tour guide was ready to make a counter offer. "If you knew when you'd be back, I can plan de rest of my trips." Nashika sounded reasonable. Laura thought that she was very good at what she did. "Okay, let's say that you take us there in a few minutes, and come back in about eight hours?"

"Eight you say?" Nashika was mentally readjusting her price. "I can do dat. How about one hundred fifty American dollars?" Laura scowled. "One hundred American, even." Nashika sighed. "One hundred and twenty five American, and if you are not ready in eight hours, I go." She countered.

"One hundred and fifteen American dollars, and another twenty five on top of that if we make you wait a while." Laura said sternly. "How long a while?" Nashika was suspicious. "If we can't get there for an hour past time." Laura decided. "Nine hours possible for one hundred and forty American dollars?" Nashika checked her price. "Do we have an accord?" The tour guide accepted the offer.

"You can pay me up front." Nashika tried. Laura laughed. "No! We'll give you fifty dollars now, the balance when you return." She narrowed her eyes as she observed Nashika's expression. "Let's see it." Nashika dared. Laura waved a crisp new fifty dollar bill in the air before them. "Okay, Deal."

Nashika begrudgingly accepted their offer. "Americans! Let's go den. Time's a wastin'." She got up from the table, again scraping the chair legs on the stone floor. Tim finished his drink, grabbed their small luggage bags and followed the girls toward the beach.

The Dahlia was berthed near the restaurant and souvenir row. Laura checked out the blue and white twenty nine footer. It seemed like a nice enough ship, with a presumably nice below deck cabin.

Nashika ambled down the ramp, refusing to help Tim with the luggage. Laura guessed that would require an extra fee. "Give me that, before you hurt yourself." Laura grabbed the luggage, easily swinging the bags over her shoulder. Nashika whistled and a young dark skinned girl, roughly fourteen or so, scrambled out from below deck and jogged to the tying ropes.

"Dis is my daughter, Tamika. She is my only crew." Nashika smiled brightly, baring a full set of brilliant white teeth. "Especially for your price." Nashika added the dig. Tamika prepared to cast off, gingerly leaping off The Dahlia to the wharf, and untied some ropes.

Tim clambered onto The Dahlia, slipping slightly on the slimy deck. The boat smelled of fresh fish. Laura glided on deck, and immediately went to the control section. She was no expert, but she'd seen her friend Brianna, inspect the family ship often enough. "Are you lost, Missy?" Nashika challenged Laura.

"No." The teen beauty realized that Nashika was very territorial. "Just curious." Laura took their bags below deck, tossing them unceremoniously onto the boat's kitchenette. She assumed that either Nashika or Tamika would go through their luggage, so she reminded Tim to take out anything of value to them.

"Cast off, honey!" Nashika ordered her daughter. Tamika quickly released the last tether and leapt onto the deck ladder, climbed up and hustled to her mother's side. Tim and Laura sat warily near the rear of The Dahlia. "If de gods are wit' us, and de currents, we can be at the Tears of the Sou lin about an hour."

Apparently, Nashika was exaggerating the travel time to garner more payment. The hour went by quickly, as the intrepid teens watched the sapphire blue waves and whitecaps scurry forward. Dolphins occasionally leapt over the whitecaps left in the ship's wake.

"Der it is, kids." Nashika announced, pointing to a nearby rocky cove. "De Isle of Tears." Laura noted that Nashika had misnamed the island, and checked the coordinates in the Raspberry GPS that Oliver had given her. They did seem to be a bit off the mark. Laura was about to make mention of that when Nashika continued. "We are not allowed past dis cove, kiddies. De island you seek is just across from dis one."

"So, what you're saying is that you couldn't deliver us to our destination." Laura accused. "We should pay you for what, then?" Tim reddened, partially due to sunburn and partially due to fear. "Give me a break, mon." Nashika protested. "You don't know how tings work down here."

"Explain it to us." Laura challenged. "I am not allowed to pass dis island. You know, why? Because de others will cut my throat, and do even far worse tings to Tamika." Nashika sounded sincere, but Laura had a hard time believing her story. She was after all, an accomplished sales person.

"You couldn't have told us that earlier?" Tim chimed in. "Listen mon. You kids come down here from America, and you tink dat dis is Disney World. It's not." Nashika sounded frustrated. "What others, Nashika? Who's after you?" Laura prodded, sensing a Justice Society type of mission coming.

"The others. Dey are da gangs, da controllers, da people who know people." Nashika's voice rose. "You don't make a move wit out dem. You do what dey say, and dat's it. You make money...and keep your head attached." Laura figured that this was getting them nowhere. "It sounds like I need to give them all a good ass kicking." She snapped. Nashika laughed. "Were it only dat simple." She commented.

"Listen, I like you kids. I don't want to see you get hurt." Nashika sounded more like a concerned mom. "It's simply da way tings are." Laura got up. "Come on Tim. It looks like our ride is over." She said, heading downstairs to get their bags. Amazingly, they looked like they hadn't been touched.

"I will pull into dis cove." Nashika explained. "But no further. De isle you seek is no more den an hour's walk over dat ridge. You can swim, can't you?" Laura nodded. She'd won three silver medals in the Nebraska statewide swim competition, before she decided that it was wrong to use her powers that way. Tim's family had a pool near their condo development, so he knew enough to get by.

"You'll pick us up here at the appointed time?" Tim asked as he took his bag from Laura. "Yes. Dat is de accord." Nashika reassured him. "I have a rep to maintain. I can't be seen as lazy or undependable." She continued as Tamika began settling the tethers at the outer cove buoys.

"Great. We'll call you when we're back in the cove." Laura waved her cell phone at them. "Seven O'clock sharp, or I charge you an extra fee." Nashika reminded them. "Agreed. We have an accord." Laura said, smiling at the troubled mother and daughter. "May da gods watch over you." Nashika said, gesturing for Tamika to steady the tether as the guests left.

Tim and Laura watched as Nashika's Dahlia motored on past the edge of the cove and out into the open waters. "Think they'll be back?" Tim asked worriedly, regretting the entire trip so far. "They'd better be or they don't get paid, and we have a long, wet, walk back to Tahiti or Tortuga."


	21. Chapter 21: Isle of Tears

_The Isle of Tears - Chapter 21_

The young explorers shouldered their backpacks and started toward the island's nearest ridge. "C'mon Tim, we're burning daylight." Laura prodded him along.

"The Isle of Tears is our first stop in the chain." She urged. "Swell." Tim said as he struggled up the damp, foliage covered, hillside behind her. "Did you ever notice how they never call these islands the 'Isle of Fluffy Bunnies' or the 'Island of Colorful Butterflies'?" He whined.

"Tim, don't be such a drama queen." Laura teased. "They probably give these islands horrible names to help keep the people away. You know, people like us. Look around. The greenery is beautiful, the weather is sunny and tropical, and the flowers are colorful. Just pretend that you and I are backpacking through Florida." Laura tried to get Tim's mind off of whining.

The two of them continued toward the highest ridge, using the sun, and an old style compass as a navigational guide. The GPS and cell phones didn't work. Apparently, the Isle of Tears was located in a dead zone, out of satellite range.

There were a few dead zones in the world, most notably near the Artic Circle, or the Antarctic Circle. "Florida? Sure." Tim shaded his eyes from the intense tropical sun. "Let me know when we get to the Magic Kingdom." His voice was filled with sarcasm.

"What exactly are we looking for, Laurie?" Tim questioned. "I'm not sure. The coordinates in the book lead us straight ahead about four miles. We might see some ruins of an old building or ship that crash landed on this island in the late 1800's." Gold Wing replied.

"I hope there's some treasure available at the end of this debacle." Tim complained. "But, I thought that I was your treasure?" Laura teased him. "Yes. Yes you are, Laurie." Tim finally laughed. "You are obviously one of a kind." Laura playfully bowed. "Yes I am."

Laura's sensitive hearing picked up some thunder in the distance. She glanced in every direction, but saw no clouds, no sign of an impending tropical storm. "Hmm! That's weird." She stopped and placed her hands on her shapely hips. "Don't ever say that, Laurie!" Tim shuddered.

"What?" She flashed him her most innocent grin. "Don't ever say 'that's weird' on a creepy island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean." Tim grumbled. "That's usually when the ground opens up and swallows the main stars of a movie, or a dinosaur jumps out from behind the bushes and eats someone." Laura laughed heartily. "I only thought that I heard thunder." She added.

"Oh." Tim stopped and looked in all directions as well. "Nope. Not a cloud in the sky!" Laura shrugged. "It was probably the surf pounding against some rocks." They continued on. "Anyway, the only types of life I expect to see on this island are frightened birds and lizards." She said.

"Can we take a break?" Tim asked pitifully. "We've only been walking for about an hour." Laura protested. They had reached the hill's peak overlooking the emerald green valley below. The landscape was dotted with small and huge colorful flowers, and tall, slim, shady trees. "Whatever." She gave in.

Tim sat down on a large mossy boulder. Laura reluctantly sat beside him. She tended to forget that Tim was merely human, and tired easily, while she was technically a Loracite enhanced Meta human. Laura drank from their first bottle of water.

"Laurie, what are those?" Tim glanced up ahead of them. Gold Wing followed his gaze. "I'm not sure." She shaded her eyes. Atop a grove of tall, palm like trees, several yellow and black furry animals scampered across the leaves and branches. The trees bore some kind of large orange like fruits. She guessed that they were grapefruit or mango trees.

"They might be lemurs." Gold Wing speculated. "Cool! I didn't expect to see any actual animals on the island." Laura got up and carefully walked towards the tree grove. "Laurie! Don't go near them! They might be rabid!" Tim shouted. "Tim, be quiet! You're scaring them…or not." She was startled when the lemurs deftly climbed down the trees and scampered towards them.

"They're going to attack!" Tim said much more quietly. "Oh pu-lease! The little fur balls aren't even two feet tall." Laura dismissed him with a wave. The lemurs gathered around Laura, and sniffed at her feet and rubbed against her exposed shins. "Aww! They're so cute!" She gushed.

"Cute until they rip your face off!" Tim said in a voice barely above a whisper. The creatures were basically yellow with black stripes and elongated, curled tails. Some were slightly bigger than others, and their fur was a much brighter yellow. "Those must be the males." Laura speculated. They had big orange hazel eyes, and seemed to have no fear of her.

Oddly, the lemur creatures paid Tim no mind at all. He remained frozen in fear, perched atop the mossy boulder. He'd picked his legs up out of the way of the skittering animals. They all chattered incessantly, thoroughly sniffing Laura's bare legs.

"Maybe they smell the suntan lotion." She said, as a lemur seemed to stop and stare at her face. He bellowed out a new noise, and the other lemurs stopped in their tracks. "Uh oh!" Tim commented quietly. "They're going to attack!" Laura rolled her eyes. "Hush, Tim!"

"That's probably the leader, and he's instructing them to get back to gathering the fruits, or whatever they were supposed to be doing." Laura speculated in a quiet tone. The animals grew completely silent, and sniffed at the air behind them. The lemurs stopped moving and all focused their attention on the leader. He bellowed again, and the lemur clan scattered.

"That's odd!" Laura stood with her hands on her hips. "They're behaving like animals…evading a predator!" She quickly hustled back to Tim. "Break's over!" She urged, as they grabbed their backpacks and started back along their original trail.

The ridgeline sloped away from them, and the landscape was slick and treacherous. Tim went down a few times, but wasn't seriously injured. The next foliage-covered ridge wasn't as high as the one with the lemurs on it. They were about two hours into their journey by now.

At the base of that hilly knoll, Laura spotted some flat stones. They formed an obviously manmade staircase. The moss covered steps led down into a darkened cavern. "Aha!" Laura pointed to the entrance. "I bet whatever we're looking for is in there."

"Uh…I doubt if we'll find any treasure down there." Tim complained. "The entrance is too obvious. If anyone had left something of value, it would be long gone by now." Laura scowled as she headed for the steps. "Tim, don't be so negative." She berated him.

"What if the people didn't know what they were looking for?" Laura speculated. "You mean, like us?" Tim countered. "Sure. That's how some of the most important things were found, purely by accident. That's how I found the Loracite cave, the golden idols, and the ancient aqua ducts."

Tim fumbled in his backpack for the large kryptonite flashlight. Laura's eyes immediately turned yellow and dilated when she entered the darkness, part of her Meta Human instincts. "What if there's a bear or something down there?" Tim hesitated. "Nope. Wrong climate, wrong part of the world" Laura informed him.

"We might find a large jungle type cat, or some bats." She continued her descent. "Something startled those lemurs, and it wasn't us." Tim reminded her. "Don't worry, I downed a glassful of your homemade Loracite shake this morning before we left." Laura quipped.

"That's good." Tim sounded relieved. "Yup. I've got my enhanced hearing, smelling, and night vision going." Laura reassured him. "I'm sensing nothing at all." The greenish blue beams from the kryptonite flashlight shone along the damp walls.

The air around them began to cool substantially. The staircase led to a small room with no furniture. Old wooden two by fours held back the encroaching moss from blocking the room's entryway. Laura examined each wall carefully, but found nothing of interest.

A small crack of light appeared at the base of one partially damaged wall. "That's weird!" Laura exclaimed. "Now what?" Tim froze in place, allowing the kryptonite flashlight beam to play along the wall in question. "Where's that light coming from?" Laura wondered aloud.

"I take it we've found another doorway." Tim guessed. Laura felt along the wall, and sure enough, stale air protruded from behind another door. "I don't see a knob or latch." Tim hurriedly examined the area. "There was probably a secret latch hidden somewhere in this room." He surmised. "Luckily, we can just do this." Laura smirked as she shoved the door backwards.

The hinges squealed, and the door, which appeared to be made of metal, slid off at an odd angle. The light came from an old oil lamp that hung near the center of the secondary room. Along the floor were scattered about a dozen half dollar size gold coins. "There's your treasure." Laura scoffed as she scoped out the room with her enhanced Meta human vision.

"Great!" Tim scowled. "I guess we've come all this way for virtually nothing." Laura wasn't yet convinced that her book had led them astray. "Someone was here recently." She announced. "Though there's a good layer of thick dust on the floor, I'd guess that this room was entered about three to six months ago." Tim nodded. "They took our treasure." He snapped.

"Maybe." Laura wasn't so sure. Tim quickly gathered up the gold coins, and double-checked the rest of the room. They noted that there was a solitary dust covered desk in the far corner, with a burned out oil lamp atop it. Laura searched the five drawers within it.

"Here's a piece of paper." She announced. "Swell." Tim complained. "Should we write someone a letter in lieu of sending a postcard?" He asked cynically. "Nope." Laura read the writing on it: 'Olivia Descarte was presumed lost at sea during tropical storm Eric.' It was a news article, dated May the 16th in 2005. "Her family gave up looking for her after a month." Laura summarized.

"The seventeen year old was mourned by loved ones around June 17th that same year." Laura continued. "How sad." Tim stopped in his tracks. "That article being here could mean that Olivia survived." He pointed out. "Why else would it be down here in a desk?"

"If that were true, than why didn't Olivia eventually find her way to the edge of the island and wait for some help?" Laura wondered aloud. "Maybe she did, and she's back home by now." Tim speculated. "Or worse. What if the evildoers that Nashika talked about got a hold of her?"

Laura stuffed the article in her backpack. "Did the article say who her parents were?" Tim was entertaining another theory. "Yes. Miles and Deborah Descarte." Laura informed him. "I wish that I could Google their names. I recall that some heiress was reported lost at sea." He said.

"Heiress?" Laura repeated. "You think that something fishy is going on here, don't you?" She smiled brightly at Tim. "I'm just grasping at straws." He admitted. Laura double-checked the entire room, but found no further clues. "If Olivia did survive, there would be no remaining supplies in this, whatever it is, a storage room maybe."

"She would have to learn to hunt, or gather the fruits like the lemurs did." Laura rationalized. "Yes, and if this area is prone to tropical storms, this cave would make a decent shelter." Tim followed Laura's line of thinking, as he pocketed the gold coins.

"You're thinking that if Olivia survived, and we found her and brought her home with us, her parents might give us a reward." Laura's eyes narrowed. Tim put his finger on his nose. "Bingo!"

Laura laughed. "Tim, you are an evil genius. We superheroes don't take rewards for saving or rescuing people." She needled. "Yes, but as you're so fond of pointing out, I'm no superhero."

"Awww! Tim, don't be like that!" Laura pretended to be angry with him. "Anyway, there's nothing else of any interest here. We should get going. We only have six hours or so to explore and rescue your Olivia." She teased. "It's about a two hour trek back to the island's landing."

They made their way back up the slimy stairs and out into the bright sunshine. The tropical humidity felt good on their skin, as the trade winds blew across the isle. According to the compass, they should head due west to circle the island perimeter, and end up back at the original landing point of Nashika's ship. They'd taken a few steps in that direction.

"Wait a minute!" Laura stopped. "That palm tree branch! Some ace crime-fighter detective I am. Tim, check out that palm tree branch next to the cave entrance." He did as she instructed. "Doesn't it look like someone stood it up against the rock wall, like a broom?" Laura stared at the mostly brown, fully leaved, branch. "Yeah, I suppose." Tim agreed. "Your point would be?"

"The branch holding the dried up leaves is roughly the width of a human hand." She observed. "Let's assume Olivia survived. She used the palm tree branch to clear away the dust on the cave floor…" Laura and Tim exchanged glances. "To erase her footprints!" They chorused.

"Well done, Sherlock!" Tim teased Laura. "The mystery continues." She nodded. "If we don't find anything more of value, we can always come back tomorrow. We can hire a different ride." Laura mentioned. Tim was not looking forward to exploring that possibility.


	22. Chapter 22: Isle of Tears2

Gold Wing: _Path to Eden_

Tim and Laura walked cautiously along the tree lined ridge. "Laurie, let me see that group of pictures of Olivia again." Laura smirked playfully. "Why? Have you suddenly got the hots for her?" She reached into the backpack and pulled out the yellowed and faded news article. Tim ignored her gibe.

He examined Olivia's high school photo, and a somewhat more recent one that the family had taken on their disastrous vacation. Olivia was very plain looking, with a larger than average nose, and a plump, cherubic face. Her body type seemed short and stocky, he observed, though in all fairness, the photos were not very well taken. Laura wondered what was bouncing around in that large brain of his.

"I think that you two would be perfect for each other." Laura teased. "Hmm!" Tim huffed. "She's no Gold Wing, that's for sure." He countered. "Aww! Thanks, Tim-ster." She smiled brightly and glanced at the late afternoon sunlight, quickly adjusting her overpriced sunglasses.

"I'm merely memorizing her picture, on the off chance that she survived." Tim played down his interest. Laura rolled her eyes, allowing Tim to enjoy his super-heroic fantasy. They reached a foggy glen that seemed oddly out of place in this subtropical zone. Laura was admittedly no weather expert, but this didn't sit well with her. For the moment, she kept Tim out of her speculations.

They would have to go forward, right through the boggy ground, or risk missing their docking appointment with Nashika. "Tim! Let's be careful around here." She warned. "The ground is soggy, and can lend itself to something akin to quicksand, or deep mud bogs."

Immediately, Tim folded up and put away his newspaper article. He followed Laura closely, stepping exactly where she stepped. "These trees seem out of place." She voiced her observation. "Technically, they resemble Cycads, one of the most ancient of all trees." Tim proclaimed.

They stopped dead in their tracks. A large, golden and jade colored statue of a female torso, crossed with a colorful Jaguar blocked their soggy path. The idol was intricately carved and was in remarkably good shape considering the constant assault of the tropical humidity, and stray tropical storm or two.

"Nice!" Laura praised. The idol itself was about six feet in height, and was placed atop a carved stone pedestal which had not fared as well. The pedestal was worn and some of its intricate lettering had been filed off, presumably by the sand from the beaches being whipped across it. The pedestal added about another three feet to the overall height of the sculpture.

"She's a bit busty for my tastes." Laura mocked the Jaguar goddess's overly developed breasts. "Still, I think she'd look good with my other two idols from the Tekameh caves." Tim gasped, and slowly backed away from Laura and the idol. "Hey! Tim-Ster! I said to be careful!" She exclaimed. "Why are you so freaked? It's only an idol. Like you've never seen one before!"

"Laurie! We need to go!" Tim virtually shrieked. "What? Aren't you overreacting just a wee bit?" Laura snarled. "That's Ix Chel, the Mayan Goddess of Fertility." Tim said, forcing some calmness to his voice. "First of all, Tim..." Laura wagged a long finger at him. "I'm impressed that you know the name of the Jaguar Goddess, but maybe it's a sign for you to hook up with Olivia, if we find her." She taunted.

"You don't understand, Laurie! This is bad, really bad. There's a whole cult out there based on Ix Chel, complete with human sacrifices and all." He began to pale even within the hazy, sunlit bog.

"Why do you even know that, Tim?" Laura said in disgust. "It's on the Internet!" He defended. "Why can't you just sit in front of the computer and watch porn like everyone else?" Laura sighed. "Actually..." Tim began as Laura held up her hands. "Okay, too much information," She cut him off.

"Anyway Tim, there aren't any Mayan cults on this island, or we would have seen them by now, or at least some sign that the Isle of Tears is inhabited." Laura reasoned as she beckoned him on, skirting the base of the Ix Chel statue. Tim reluctantly followed her, keeping a good distance away from the idol.

The fog grew denser as they moved onward in the correct direction. The sunlight was barely noticeable, within the thick, humid, veil above their path. The Cycads seemed larger and more numerous as their path took on a slight incline. Laura's sensitive hearing had picked up some noises nearby.

They resembled the sound that an animal might make while scurrying through the underbrush. She dare not mention that to an already spooked Tim, yet, her curiosity kept compelling her on. "The cult members of Ix Chel reportedly drink blood from a monkey's skull to prove their worth." Tim recalled.

"Ew! And again, ew!" Laura commented as they trekked through a dense, rainforest type area of the island. "Tim, give it a rest, will you? This island seems to be deserted." Laura said over her shoulder. "Yeah? Maybe somebody ought to tell her that!" Tim stopped abruptly and pointed towards an obviously female silhouette that had appeared just to their right, atop a hilly bog.

The female drew closer as Laura whirled to face her. "Olivia Descarte, I presume?" Gold Wing quickened her pace toward the new arrival. "That name no longer has any meaning to me." The young woman snarled, as she stepped out of the shadows. "You may call me Livie!"

Tim immediately noted that 'Livie' unscrambled, could be seen as 'I Evil' or 'I Live!' "Well, Livie, you can call me Laura, and this is Tim. We're here to rescue you." Gold Wing shamelessly boasted. Livie laughed raucously. "Does it look like I need rescuing? I do appreciate the offer, though."

Livie stepped into a shaft a dim sunlight that had pierced the veil of the rainforest canopy. Tim's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Livie was barely recognizable as compared to the five year old newspaper clipping. Laura noted the sea change that was Livie's face and silhouette.

Livie, though still slight in height, had been transformed into a slim, lithe, petite framed young woman. Her weight had dropped considerably, and her once mousy brown hair had been bleached blonde by the tropical sunlight, and was draped well down her back. Livie's dress left very little to the imagination.

Tim gawked at the dazzling beauty before him, and Livie knew exactly what was on Tim's mind. "See what healthy living could do, devoid of the temptations of junk food and all night parties?" Livie teased as she slowly spun in place. Her wasp-like frame was tan and she hadn't an extra ounce of fat on her.

Livie's clothing merely consisted of a pair of large hollowed out grapefruits bound together by a tight weave of palm tree leaves, and she wore a midriff bearing grass skirt similar to the ones found in Hawaii. The difference being that the skirt left Livie's backside obviously visible. Laura shifted her gaze away.

"I usually wear less than this." Livie continued to taunt Tim, who reddened as she approached. Laura rolled her eyes. "Thanks for sharing." Gold Wing retorted. "Livie, why don't you come back with us?"

The tropical beauty suddenly stared daggers at Tim. "Why would I want to leave?" Livie's deep black eyes seemed glassy and vacant. "I have all that I need right here. Back home, I was a nobody. The only people that knew me were my overprotective parents, servants, and butt kissing family members. Here I am a goddess!" Livie again laughed sardonically.

"Okay, now that we've seen Livie, we ought to be moving on." Laura urged with irritation. Tim got up from his boulder seat and glanced at Livie one more time, shaking his head. "By the way, did you two see my Ix Chel statue? You wouldn't believe what I had to do to get it here." She grinned lustily.

"Yeah, I guess we don't need to know all about that." Laura conceded petulantly. "I take it you've found company on this allegedly deserted island?" Livie's face took on a dark complexion. She didn't readily answer the question. "Ix Chel stands as a warning." Livie said menacingly. "This is my home."

"Next time try a 'No Trespassing' or 'Keep Out' sign." Laura dead panned. "With your loving personality, I'd bet that you'll have no problem being left alone." Laura and Tim edged past the eccentric island girl. "By the way, I love living here." Livie added. "I get to see nature in all of its elegant brutality." Tim sighed, passing her. "Those weren't really the adjectives I was looking for." He sniped.

"There's one more thing." Livie's eyes narrowed as Laura turned to face her again. "You can't leave. You see, I don't want to be bothered here." She threatened. "Oh don't worry, I hope you and Ix Chel will be very happy together. We're going to forget that we ever saw you." Laura responded flatly.

"You don't understand. You can't leave." Livie said calmly. "I don't need another hen in my henhouse, but I can keep Tim. A male has certain uses...therefore, you are expendable." Laura's eyes flared a bright yellow. "Excuse me?" She lowered her voice as Tim shuddered and hid behind Gold Wing.

"You'll never find your way off the island." Livie presumably lied. "Uh...genius...an island by its very nature is easily accessible by boat traffic, and we have a ride waiting for us tonight." Laura scowled. Suddenly several animals jogged in towards them from every direction.

"What the?" Tim exclaimed as a large, dark jungle cat neared his leg. "Where did they all come from?" Laura asked calmly. "Tim, don't move. That's Shera, my dark furred panther." Livie explained. "You named this thing?" Tim's voice rose as Shera's ears flattened back down and she snarled.

"Shera just had a healthy litter." Livie continued. "As you might imagine, food can be sparse around here, but still if you consider the ratio of prey to predator, we've achieved a delicate eco balance." Livie sounded strangely intelligent to Laura, considering that she'd spent the last five years on a secluded isle.

"Therefore, I can feed Shera, your friend Laura here, and spare your miserable life." Livie added arrogantly. "Tim, think about it. We would be like Adam and Eve in Eden." Obviously, Olivia had gone nuts alone on her island, Laura considered. "Uh, Livie, Tim's coming home with me, and if I were you, I wouldn't turn my back on Shera if she gets hungry."

"You simply have no choice Laura." Livie argued. "You can rest assured that your death will feed Shera and her litter well." Shera nudged closer to Tim, and quickly sidestepped him and growled at Laura. Tim shivered as the nine foot long panther rubbed uncomfortably close to his leg. "Um...Laurie...I think its time to go!" Gold Wing smirked. "I couldn't agree more."


	23. Chapter 23: Isle of Tears 3

**Gold Wing **- _Isle of Tears_

Laura was about to bolt into hyper speed, dragging Tim along with her, when she noted that the entire swampy, grassy area near them seemed to be moving. Colorful tails popped up from behind foliage hedges, small cycads, and thick palm tree trunks.

They were surrounded by dozens of snarling, growling, and mewing cats. More and more of the animals poked their heads out from the brush. Laura was no cat expert, but these animals didn't appear to belong in this tropical zone. "Laurie! Let's go!" Tim urged as Shera got in his face.

Laura turned to face the smirking Livie. "What the hell kind of an island is this, Livie?" She asked in an accusatory tone. "You just don't get it, Laura. This is my island. These are my friends." Livie replied arrogantly. "These species aren't native to the tropics." Tim confirmed.

"No, they aren't." Livie admitted. "As I said, you'll never find your way off the island." Laura was more curious than angry at this point. "So, your feline friends are smuggled animals from all over the world." Laura stated flatly. "Not smuggled, Laura." Livie denied. "They simply come here on their own." Laura scowled. "You're delusional! That is an African lion."

Tim followed Laura's gaze, and sure enough, a huge male African lion sat patiently before and above them, on a slab of limestone rock, tan, golden mane, and all. "If you tell me we just stepped into Narnia..." Tim quipped for Laura's benefit. Clearly, Livie hadn't seen the movies.

"No, Tim, but there's definitely more going on here than meets the eye." Laura's eyes flashed from side to side as she measured their way out from between the hungry felines. "Livie, I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but this is your last chance. Leave with us, or you're going to be Shera's Kibbles and Bits."

"The only place you're going, Laura, is into my pets' stomachs. It will be a grand, bloody, scene as they tear you limb from limb for their supper." Livie laughed sardonically. "Tim, this is your last chance. You consent to be my mate, or you'll feed the cats as well."

"Sorry, Livie. I'll pass." Tim edged away from Shera, who was now drooling on his flip flops. "Okay. Your loss. Goodbye, Tim." Livie said as she pulled a tubular device from somewhere that Laura would rather not think about. Livie put it to her lips and blew through it. Silence.

Laura thought she'd heard a type of whistle, with her superior hearing, but wasn't sure. Immediately, the jungle cats grew irritated, rearing up on their haunches, and shaking their heads. "Livie's controlling the cats with a type of dog whistle." Laura observed. Tim couldn't care less at this point, as he closed his eyes. "Let's go!" Laura grabbed Tim by the arm and bolted.

She'd run into hyper speed, and physically leapt over the African lion that lay in their path. To Livie and the jungle cats, they seemed to suddenly disappear. The predators had settled down once more and Livie gestured for Shera and an African lioness to begin tracking their prey.

Laura sped along at hyper speed, heading in the general direction of the island's far end, where Nashika would likely be waiting. As her visual perception shifted, the island seemed longer than she'd anticipated. Tim usually felt as though the hyper speed jaunts that he'd been on before lasted for only the blink of an eye. This time, something was different. Had Laura overshot her destination?

Laura suddenly encountered a blinding flash of light. She'd lost her visual perception. Instantly, she slowed to a stop, as they left hyper speed. She put Tim down on a patch of fertile green grasses. He shuddered uncontrollably. "Tim? What's wrong?" Laura shook Tim a bit to snap him out of the daze.

Tim's eyes glazed over, and he seemed to be looking past her left shoulder. Had the hyper speed blast injured him mentally in some way? Laura was horrified. Was Tim's nerve system damaged? She saw a reflection of a gray animal in a nearby pool of filthy water. The animal was behind her and perched atop a fallen tree trunk. Laura whirled to face it, and saw a...lizard?

The lizard was about the size of a large dog. Was it a Gila monster? She wondered. An overdeveloped Monitor? Anyway, it didn't appear interested in them at all. She turned back to Tim. His skin tone was ashen, but his eyes seemed to be focusing on something else above them.

Tim finally pointed to the sky, his arm wavering. Laura was puzzled. "Tim? What are you...?" She'd heard the bloodcurdling squawk a second before it dove at them. The large Monitor-like lizard scampered away as fast as it could, deftly leaping over a smaller fallen tree trunk, before disappearing into the thick foliage. Laura felt a gush of air above them, she instinctively reached upward and grabbed something.

"What the hell?" Laura exclaimed as her hands grasped two bat-like wings. The gray and green animal snapped at her wrists, but could do no real damage. It squawked and squealed. The leathery texture of the wings seemed familiar to Laura. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Laurie!" Tim croaked. "You're holding a Pterodactyl!" Laura's eyes confirmed Tim's guess. This allegedly extinct Pterodactyl had about a four foot wingspan, and it's head had a reddish green crest. It squawked mercilessly as it tried to slip from Laura's grip.

"Tim. I'm going to let it go." Laura stated calmly, as the flying reptile snapped at her wrists again. "Crawl beneath me." She spread her legs wide enough for him to scrambled between them. His eyes began to tear, as he managed a short whimper. Finally in position, Tim watched as Laura released the formerly extinct animal. It squealed, and flew off, presumably to find its family.

"You said that it was a Pterodactyl." Laura scowled. "Any idea what its doing here? If the Dactyl was supposed to be extinct, no one told it." Tim nervously glanced across the sky, seeing only a small handful of flying creatures circling over a grassy and rocky small mountain near the horizon.

"Laura, do you feel any different?" Tim probed as he stood back up. "Not particularly. I'm just finding that this whole treasure hunting expedition is becoming tiresome. Why?" Tim shuddered. "I got a bad feeling about this. Like we're not supposed to be here." On a whim, Tim checked his wristwatch. It still read 5:30 PM, and it was ticking. "Laurie, is your watch okay?" He wondered. She checked it.

"Yes, it's fine. But we only have about two hours before Nashika is due to pick us up." Gold Wing confirmed. Suddenly, they were attracted by chirping sounds. Laura glanced up at the nearby treeline, but saw no obvious signs of tropical birds. Typically, the trees would be full of the colorful animals.

"Yah!" Tim jumped atop a boulder, and danced around on it. "Tim, what are you doing? You have to pee or something?" Laura frowned. "Look down!" He directed excitedly. At Laura's sandal laden feet, three small lizards sniffed her toes, and one licked her bare ankle. "Ew! Gross!" She was about to stomp her feet to frighten the annoying creatures, when Tim motioned for her to stop. "Laurie! No!"

"Those are Compsognathus!" Tim lowered her voice. "Huh? Tim, you know I don't do well with multi syllabic words. Dumb it down for me." By now, a few dozen of the irritating lizards scampered around Laura's feet and between her ankles. Most of the lizards were about four to six inches high. It was then that Gold Wing noted the lizards were running on their hind legs. All of them.

"Compies. If you prefer." Tim added. "They're small dinosaurs." Laura gasped. "Seriously? What have we stumbled into here, a real life Jurassic Park?" Tim shrugged. "I wasn't really a big dino fan, but I do know quite a bit about them. And no, they don't belong here. They're supposed to be extinct."

"Do you think that Livie knew about these dinosaurs?" Laura wondered aloud. "She did say that we would never find our way off the island." Tim watched as two slightly bigger Compies joined the chirping group. "Ignoring the fact that Livie was a psychopath, she did surround herself with the more fearsome jungle cats that exist. We don't know how they all got here, or why she chose predators."

"It could be that Livie is in on some type of illegal scientific experiments." Laura speculated. "But she seemed to be a nut ball, not a serious scientist researching some unusual animals." The two biggest Compies were lime green in color, and stood about eight to ten inches high. The rest of the nattering dinosaurs were plain colored in earth tones of dark green, brown, or grayish black.

Laura watched with a mixture of fascination and aggravation, as the Compies continued to chirp and scurry around them. One of the big lime Compies leapt briefly towards Tim, but he quickly picked his feet up on the boulder, and tucked them beneath his body. "Tim, why are they hanging around me?" Gold Wing asked. Tim gulped. "Because the Compies can eat meat. They were scavengers." He replied.

Laura didn't care for that explanation. "If one of them tries to take a bite out of me, he or she will lose their teeth." She quipped. "I wouldn't be too overconfident, Laurie. We still don't know if you have all of your abilities. In fact, I'm not at all sure that we aren't the ones out of place...or time."

"Wait a minute..." Laura narrowed her eyes. She listened with her enhanced hearing, forcing herself to concentrate past the Compies' chirping. "No, I don't hear any machinery. Your Compies are definitely real live animals. I heard their excited little hearts beating."

"What about mine?" Tim asked worriedly. "Nope. Tim, you're dead. Sorry." Laura said with a straight face. Tim's complexion went ashen. No small trick in the tropical heat. "Kidding!" Gold Wing joked. "You're fine. I was just eliminating any other noises from my concentration."

All of the Compies slowed to a stop, and simultaneously quieted down, their little noses poked up into the air. They were smelling something, and Tim wasn't too thrilled about their behavior. Suddenly, they all bolted, quickly disappearing into the underbrush. The area was eerily silent. Into the silence, broke a series of caws and howls. Tim felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Now what?" Laura grumbled. Tim scurried down from the boulder and edged closer to Laura. The foliage parted in a number of angled ways. Something, or several creatures were tracking in their direction. The bushes began to sway. The creatures, Laura assumed were more animals, headed towards them in a roughly arrowhead formation. "Now, I don't like this at all." Gold Wing muttered.

"Do ya think?" Tim snapped. "Maybe we'd better run. Get ready to shift into hyper speed." Laura didn't argue, but curiosity had gotten the best of her. She hesitated...


	24. Chapter 24: Isle of Tears 4

**_Path To Eden_**

_ Chapter 24_

Before Laura could grab Tim and shift into hyper speed, two animals leapt out of the brush at her. They snarled and hissed, sticking their snouts high in the air. Laura stared the nearest creature down. It cocked its head from side to side like a bird. A colorful crest atop its head bristled.

"Kill it! Kill it!" Tim shrieked. Laura didn't take her eyes off the growling dinosaur. "Don't be ridiculous Tim, these are just dumb animals." She stated calmly. Each creature was about the height and length of a good sized dog. Several more critters were encircling them.

"These are Velociraptors, not German shepherds!" Tim complained, dropping his voice to minimum volume. "I thought that they looked familiar." Laura continued to eye the prehistoric creature. "They seemed bigger on TV and in the movies." She observed. Tim was sweating bullets. This attracted more and more raptors. They cawed at each other like crows.

"They're communicating!" Laura was fascinated by the allegedly extinct dinosaurs. Tim gulped. "Are you nuts, Laurie? These things are actually alive, not part of some school or museum science project." He whined, and slid slowly behind his young female friend. "They don't belong here, Tim, none of them do." Laura pronounced. "I will get to the bottom of all this."

"Tim, let me borrow your camera phone." Laura reached behind her slowly, so as not to excite the curious and noisy raptors in front of her. "Here." Tim's hand was shaking as he nervously set it up for Laura. "No one can download the photos from here." Tim explained. "This island is a dead zone, meaning there are no satellite hookups or cell towers, or anything."

"True." Laura agreed. "But we can still record these animals and save it on your phone, yes?" Tim nodded, and the movement seemed to stop the raptors from advancing. The dinosaurs weren't quite sure what to make of the human intruders on their island. Or, are the dinosaurs intruding on the human's islands? Laura had no idea, as she aimed the camera phone ahead.

Fortunately, there was enough daylight to prevent the flash from going off. Gold Wing wondered if it would scare the animals away, or goad them into an attack. She quickly pressed the still photo button, and got a good close up of the innermost raptor. The animal rocked back and forth on its haunches, tail whipping in the stiff tropical breezes that crisscrossed the island.

"Laurie…" Tim's voice was barely above a whisper. "They're going to attack!" He warned. "They'd better not, if they know what's good for them." Gold Wing countered. Laura snapped another picture, as the raptor continued to sniff the air. The raptors all began to hiss and snarl in unison. "We are so dead!" Tim was on the verge of crying. "Not likely." Laura smirked.

With lightning speed, the lead raptor nearest to Laura vaulted up at her. She gently smacked its muzzle away. The raptor howled in surprise, landing in a heap across the thicket, barely ten feet away from Tim's feet. The other raptors were considering eating their fallen comrade.

They lunged towards the frightened animal, but Laura was faster. She dove between the attacking raptors, and the one that she'd smacked aside. The raptor quickly righted itself and snapped and snarled at the others. The group began to back away. Unfortunately, this left Tim momentarily unguarded. "Laurie! Are you crazy?" He yelled, attracting all of the raptors' attention.

Gold Wing shoved and slapped raptors out of the way, taking time to snap two more action photos of some smaller, less colorful animals. The raptors began to gather together in the field.

This indicated to Laura that they still weren't sure of their attack. The raptors would likely opt for less challenging prey elsewhere, she hoped. Tim had scampered up a fallen tree, and overlooked the ludicrous scene. Laura was surrounded by raptors, and they parted to let her pass.

One raptor was foolish enough to chomp down on Laura's hand. It yelped in pain, and skittered away from the rest of the group. The frightened animal couldn't penetrate Gold Wing's dense, thick, skin. It was lucky that it didn't break its razor sharp teeth.

Laura back flipped high in the air, over the stunned raptors, landing gracefully alongside Tim on his tree branch perch. She grabbed one more picture, and this one captured all of the raptors in one frame. Tim fumed. "Laurie, can we go now? You may be indestructible, but I'm not!"

"Okay! Chill!" Laura said simply, as she held his hand. "Ready?" Tim nodded, and Gold Wing vaulted from the tree branches all the way across the raptor filled meadow, and landed abruptly atop a flat boulder. Tim waited for his stomach to drop back down out of his throat before speaking. The raptors soon forgot about the unusual alleged prey.

Laura examined the collection of photos and approved of the way that they'd come out. Suddenly, there was a loud array of noise coming from the raptor patch. The dinosaurs all cawed and snarled at each other, before quickly scampering away. The meadow was now quiet. Tim felt uneasy, like something wasn't quite right with the area. That was an understatement, he realized, given that they'd just interacted with four different types of supposedly extinct animals.

Laura glanced up from the cell phone screen and her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Tim, don't move!" She warned sternly and at a reduced vocal volume. Tim paled. "What? What is it?" The boy began to shiver from fear despite the humid tropical air of this forbidden island. "I'm not sure. Wait until it turns around." Laura said vaguely. Tim whimpered.

"Quiet, Tim, you'll scare it away." Gold Wing warned as she readied the camera phone for another round of pictures. "Scare it?" Tim was incredulous. The animal was a good fifteen feet high, and about as long from snout to tip of its whip-like tail. It turned around, hearing the curious teens' voices. The creature emitted a throaty growl, as it lowered its snout to the ground.

"Oh, I know this one." Laura cheerfully snapped a picture of the supposedly extinct dinosaur. "That's a Tyrannosaurus Rex, right?" She said as she shifted her position to get a full side view of the startled animal. Tim gasped. "There's a T Rex behind me?" He asked in a nervous tone.

Tim was momentarily frozen in place, but curiosity got the best of him. He risked a glance at the menacing creature. "Yup!" Was all Tim could muster, as his voice rose to a squeaky level. "Let's go! Now!" He urged. "Just a minute Tim! Watch this!" Gold Wing leapt from the relative safety of the flat topped boulder, landing squarely on the T Rex's back! "Yee Haw!" She exclaimed.

"You're nuts!" Tim howled. "Laurie, that's a T Rex, not a Palomino!" The frightened dinosaur reared up on its huge hind legs, its tail whipping from side to side, randomly tearing through the tropical foliage. The T Rex snarled and growled, turned its oversized head, and snapped at its back, trying to get the irritating human off. The T Rex bolted, hopping over fallen tree trunks.

The raptors, still at the edges of the meadow, scurried away, in an attempt to avoid the charging T Rex. Three or four of the raptors were nearly trampled in the process, barely escaping the much larger animal's path of flight. Gold Wing held onto the T Rex's neck, and tried not to choke it, as she continued her impromptu joyride, leaving poor Tim undefended.

The T Rex was remarkably agile, as it zigzagged across the tropical meadows, and in between the multi-sized Cypress trees, Tropical Palms, and assorted other tall trees that provided a misty canopy above the humid valley. Laura winced as her supersensitive nostrils picked up the scent of the rotting meat from the T Rex's mouth. Apparently it had just eaten something or someone.

The T Rex's flight had tired it out, and the annoyed dinosaur slowed to a trotting pace. Laura pretended that she'd just broken in a mare on her Aunt Wanda's farm. The T Rex growled, and its breathing became erratic. The animal finally stopped and positioned itself alongside a flowing river. The T Rex forgot about the irritating human atop its back and drank the water heavily.

It lapped up the flowing fresh water like a dog at its water dish. Laura carefully slid off the T Rex's back, and the animal appeared uninterested in her. Gold Wing worked her way around the rear of the dinosaur, and snapped a couple of close up photos of the thirsty T Rex. "That's it, girl, pose pretty for the picture." Gold Wing muttered as she snapped a few more.

The T Rex finished its lengthy drink, and its head popped up high above the river. She cocked her head from side to side like a bird, thoroughly refreshed. Laura decided that she'd annoyed the T Rex enough for the day, and sped back to where she'd abandoned her good friend, Tim.

"Tim?" Laura called out into the dense foliage. No answer. "Tim?" She called again, just now realizing that she'd left him to fend for himself in this obviously unfriendly environment. "Crap!" Laura sped around the flat boulder, gradually increasing her search pattern, and radiating out from where she'd last seen him. Gold Wing stopped to examine the sandy dirt near the boulder.

"Footprints?" Laura said aloud. There were several footprints in the boggy sand, all of which appeared to be human, and differed in size. Someone else was on the island! Gold Wing gasped. How had the intruders found Tim, and likely abducted him in such a short time?


	25. Chapter 25: Isle of Tears 5

**Chapter 25**

Gold Wing - The Isle of Tears

Laura followed the dusty trail keeping a close eye on the array of footprints before her. The prints were of bare human feet, she observed. Only Tim's size nine gym shoes differentiated him from the rest, though the collection of footprints were mostly smaller than his.

The prints led her to a run down, stinking village. The people's homes were ramshackle versions of prehistoric looking huts. To now, Gold Wing hadn't noted any local denizens around, but she assumed that she was being watched, possibly from the trees above, or the rocky crags surrounding the path.

Her above average hearing picked up some murmurs and grumbles, and then she heard Tim's whining cries for help. "I'm coming Tim!" She yelled, as her voice echoed through the canyon. There was no point in a stealthy approach. Laura would simply grab Tim and go. She had no desire to interfere any further in this backwards world. They still had some time to meet their ride to the hotel.

Laura made her way towards the center of the ratty village. The stench increased as she neared what she assumed to be the main group of villagers. At the center of town, hoisted high above the gravely, sandy, road, hung Tim, squeezed into a square bamboo cage. "Laurie! Hurry up!" He squealed.

Gold Wing resisted a laugh at the ludicrous scene. "Tim! Quit fooling around!" She playfully chastised him. Below him a number of naked, dark skinned individuals poked spear-points at Tim's backside and legs. The naked females grumbled and excitedly conversed with the naked males.

"What?" Tim exclaimed. "Laurie! Let's go! I think they're going to eat me!" He tearfully howled. "Tim! Relax! No one's going to eat my buddy!" Gold Wing grinned thinly. Some of the largest males tried to poke Laura in the chest and her stomach, with their sharpened spears. Big mistake.

Even the tallest male was barely Laura's height, and all of the females were smaller than Tim. A number of naked, squealing, children ran around the village center, carefully avoiding the coming confrontation. Gold Wing grabbed the big male's spear, startling him, ripped it out of his hands, and corkscrewed to the right, skillfully bouncing off of the nearest hut's side wall, going first horizontal, and then vertical.

Laura leapt upward like a hunting panther, and sliced through Tim's cage rope, a group of strong, flexible vines that were tied together, with the spear-point. She held the bottom half of the torn vines in one hand, essentially suspending Tim above the startled and angry villagers. Gold Wing briefly perched atop the crudely made crossbeams, which were nothing more than two trees tied together in an 'X' pattern.

The crowd grew ugly, yelling and stomping their prehistoric feet. They began to throw the spears at Tim and Laura, javelin style. One spear actually grazed Tim's discolored cargo shorts, but drew no blood, missing his thigh entirely. Laura threw the spear back at the people, purposely missing everyone. It stuck in the muddy ground, and immediately, two young men tried to pull it out.

Gold Wing continued her vault, extending her leap across the village center, cage in hand, landing sloppily on a stone ridge above two of the muddy, grassy, huts. Laura quickly freed Tim and whipped the villagers' cage back at them. It clattered to a stop amid the confused and agitated aborigines. "Tim, are you okay?" Laura asked with genuine concern.

Tim simply melted into Gold Wing's arms, sobbing quietly. Laura sighed and hugged him."Laurie, let's just get the hell out of here, before anything else happens." Tim brushed the tears from his cheeks as he unclenched from Laura. "Okay! Okay!" She threw up her arms in resignation. "Tim, I swear that I will come back and get to the bottom of all this. Things just aren't right."

"Do ya think?" Tim snapped. "How far are we from the bay?" Laura used her above average vision to make an educated guess. "We're only about an hour's walk from the Tears of the Souls, where Nashika dropped us off." She replied. "Okay." Tim sounded more relaxed, but he still felt uneasy.

They readjusted their backpacks and headed south towards the Isle Bay. "Laura, what do you think is really going on here? I mean, creepy psychotic girls, dinosaurs, and ancient looking aborigines, really?" Tim finally questioned, as his curiosity began to get the best of him.

"I have no idea, Tim." Laura replied curtly. "It's like we're on some lost island, but I can't shake the feeling that this is all manufactured." Tim shrugged. "That's an interesting theory." He commented. "How does one build dinosaurs, or ancient aborigines? They were living beings, right?"

"As far as I could tell." Laura replied. "I don't have Clark's x-ray vision, you know. What bugs me is that all of the creatures and people, Livie not withstanding, seemed uniformly smaller in scale then we've previously thought, including the T Rex. Its almost like they were tailored to fit this island's ecosystem."

"Hmm! You mean like a science experiment in a reasonably uniform, and controlled environment?" Tim rubbed his thin chin, which now had a layer of peach fuzz-like hair growing upon it. "Exactly!" Gold Wing confirmed. "The tropics would be the perfect place to set up such an experiment, don't you think?"

"With the exception of the random tropic storms, cyclones, or hurricanes that come up, the temperatures would be consistent." Laura continued her hypothesis. "The plant life wouldn't vary much, either." She added. "It would take a ton of investing, and an enormous amount of secrecy to pull this off."

"We assumed that Livie was acting erratically, but what if she was actually a victim?" Tim guessed. Laura snickered. "You really liked her, didn't you?" Tim snorted. "Oh yeah! She's just the type of girl I'd bring home to the family." He said sarcastically, as Gold Wing laughed heartily.

The teen explorers climbed up a well-worn path that had been slightly obscured by the out of control tropical foliage, which lined the twisting throughway. The trail looked as if it wound around the dune-like hill, and across, to what they perceived to be was the Tears of the Soul access bay.

As they rounded the ridge, the dune sloped sharply downward, leading to a series of small caves. These caves were fairly common at the base of any hilly, tropical island. Two hundred plus years ago, smugglers, pirates, and other ne'er-do-wells would hide in the caves to avoid the mainland armada patrols. Sometimes they would leave their bootie treasures behind to access them later.

The nearest cave to them, had been partially filled with the bay's seawater, and two others were higher up the hillside. Those caverns appeared to be dry, well, as dry as a tropical cave could be, Laura observed. "Tim, do you remember seeing those caves before?" Gold Wing asked worriedly.

Tim gulped. "No. But then I could've missed them." Laura narrowed her eyes, focusing her slightly enhanced vision on the cave mouths, and beyond. "I do see a small boat berthed at the opposite end of the cove, but I still can't make out the ship's name, or see any people on board." She informed him.

"I guess we head there." Tim offered. "Hopefully, its Nashika's Dahlia, or this is going to be really awkward." Laura agreed, and guided Tim alongside the rocky edge of the bay. Clumsily, the teens were eventually able to drop down to the sandy, seaweed covered beach below them.

In moments, just shy of 7:30 PM, Tim and Laura reached the boat. It was indeed The Dahlia, but Nashika and Tamika were nowhere to be seen. The Dahlia looked to be in disarray, which immediately sent up all kinds of red flags in Gold Wing's heroic mind. "Tim, this doesn't look right." Laura pointed out. "You remember how neat and clean The Dahlia was when we first boarded her?"

Tim shuddered. "Maybe Nashika didn't have time to clean up after her last job?" Laura made a derisive snort. "Ever the optimist, eh Tim? Let's track the footprints, maybe Nashika and Tamika had to go on a nature call or something." Tim winced. "I think The Dahlia has a built in head below deck." He stated.

"Come on." Gold Wing examined the footprints in the sand near the boat. "I think that there was a struggle here." Laura pointed to a few marks in the sand, that looked like something, or somebody was dragged off The Dahlia unwillingly. Tim gulped. "I think that the ladies are in trouble."

"Duh, Tim!" Laura snapped. "This sounds like a job for Gold Wing!" She snickered at the cheesy line. "Tim, you should just stay here and guard The Dahlia." Laura directed. "Guard it? With what?" Tim whined. "I don't know. Find a stick, stone, or rowboat paddle." Laura replied. "Check to see if your cell phone works yet, or Nashika's ship to shore radio."

"What if some of those criminals that Nashika warned us about did something to them?" Tim asked the obvious. "What if they get past you?" Laura laughed sardonically. "Get past Gold Wing? Seriously, Tim! When monkeys fly out my butt!" She exclaimed. "Be careful! On this goofy island, that might just happen!" Laura waved at him before zipping into her hyper speed. Tim was alone again.

He climbed into The Dahlia, and began rummaging through Nashika and Tamika's things. Their personal belongings were scattered throughout the boat, and a few pieces of clothing floated nearby, as the gentle seawater lapped at the bay's beach. Fortunately, the clothes that Tim spotted appeared to be extra things, like a rain poncho or two, some sandals, and a few pairs of grubby socks.

As he feared, The Dahlia's radio console had been smashed, possibly by the butt of a gun, or a lead pipe. This definitely looked like a robbery to him. Every cabinet had been opened and ransacked. A small piece of yellow paper, its edge torn off, had been stuck beneath a cabinet drawer. He noticed some hastily scrawled writing on it. There was only one sloppily written word on it: Pirates.

Tim gulped. Nashika's warning had been proven true. Tamika must have had a few seconds to warn them, and attempt to explain what had happened. Tim knew that modern day pirates prowled the tropical regions, and some of the seas near Africa, but most of the locals were probably drug smugglers.

He wasn't worried about Laura. She could certainly make quick work of some nasty pirates, but were they too late? Had something unspeakable happened to Nashika and Tamika?

More importantly, would the pirates come back and get him? They could always use him as leverage to try and control Gold Wing. His stomach turned over repeatedly as he ducked down low in The Dahlia, vainly in search of a weapon that he could use. Would he have the courage to do so?

4


	26. Chapter 26: Isle of Tears 6

Isle of Tears 6: _The Pirate's Curse_

Laura used her hyper speed to zip into the cave that they'd seen from across the cay. Poor Nashika and Tamika were tied with leather rope to a large stalagmite that protruded up from the slimy cave floor. They appeared to be unharmed at the moment, but Gold Wing figured that wouldn't last long.

Seven scraggly men were milling about the cave. They varied in skin color, age, and dress, the only consistency that Laura observed through her enhanced visual shift, was that they each held a weapon. Two possessed automatic rifles, two held machetes, and three brandished hand pistols. All seemed nasty in temperament, and Laura assumed they were either drug smugglers or modern day pirates.

One, likely the leader, got up in Nashika's face. "Woman! You defy me!" He snapped in an Afro-Caribbean type of accent. "You came here without my permission, and worse, without paying me de travel tax! You know how dis goes. You pay me, I let you work!"

"I'm sorry, mon!" Nashika responded tearfully. "We had to pick up some travelers. Dey paid us to come back! How would it look if we left dem dere and did not collect our fee?" She pleaded. "You made us waste our time, Sheila!" A light skinned guy with an Australian accent put in. "That'll cost you!"

"How much?" Nashika reasoned, obviously afraid of retaliation. A creepy, dark skinned thug with a perverse grin on his bearded face suddenly brushed young Tamika's hair from her shoulder. "It will cost you her!" He snarled. "No! I beg you! I'll pay twice your access fee!" Nashika pleaded.

"Dat you will, Nashika!" The leader growled. The creep that was harassing Tamika laughed. "Where I come from, dis one has value!" He menaced. "De older one I don't need!" Laura had seen and heard enough. Disguised as a stiff breeze, she had been encircling the group waiting for the right attack angle.

This will be tricky, Gold Wing mused. The leader pulled out another pistol and placed it right next to Nashika's forehead. He cocked it into position. "Oh well, Nashika, Captain Morgan has spoken. Good bye! Don't worry, we'll take good care of your daughter." He laughed maniacally.

"We'll take our fee out of your boat, and your daughter's hide!" The Australian jerk added, grinning lustily. "Get on with it, mate!" A British sounding pirate butted in from across the cave floor. "We've a schedule to keep, remember, you ruddy blokes!"

Laura took a deep breath and rushed towards the leader with a gun to Nashika's head. She quickly appeared just long enough to grab the thug's gun. It fired up into the roof, shattering a medium sized stalactite. The shards tinkled to the ground not far from the Australian pirate.

"Watch it, mate!" He yowled as something hit him in the midsection full force. Gold Wing used her hyper speed to untangle Nashika and Tamika, and hand them each a pirate's pistol. She bolted towards the two machete-bearing thugs, and unceremoniously knocked them cold with two fists to their jaws.

Gold Wing circled back and tossed the big dark skinned pirate, the crew leader, and the Brit into a nearby ravine. This all happened within a matter of seconds. Laura had great speed, but was still a bit slower than Clark or Bart. Laura scooped up Nashika and Tamika and sped them back out to the Dahlia.

Tim fell backwards in the cabin as the two women tumbled into his thighs and midsection. The three of them lay stunned on the cabin floor. Laura untied the boat, and gave it a good shove towards the open water, just beyond the edge of the cay. Gold Wing zipped back into the cave. She had to knock the pirates out for a while to allow time for The Dahlia to escape.

Laura smiled broadly as she slowed to a stop. _Now's as good a time as any to practice my martial arts_, she thought playfully. _There was something satisfying about taking on your enemies face to face_. She continued to muse. It was all good and wonderful that Clark and Kara chose, for the most part, to be anonymous as they saved he denizens of Metropolis and beyond.

Laura preferred a more 'hands on' approach. Two of the pirates were already standing and either rubbing their backs or shoulders. Gold Wing stood, arms folded patiently at the center of the cavern. She thought she might just as well throw a scare into the thugs, perverts, and ruffians.

She waited for all of the men to regain their composure. The darkest skinned pervert growled at her. "Are you insane, bit**, do you not know who we are?" Laura grinned. "No! Should I?" She assumed a relaxed attack position. The Aussie and the Brit were angling behind her. She was aware of their movements, of course. "We are Declan, the most feared pirate gang in the Pacific!" He boasted.

"Ooh pirates!" Gold Wing taunted. "Aargh, matey! Where's your parrot?" She continued to goad them. "You stupid little girl! I don't know how you managed to best us, but you aren't too bright!" The leader menaced. "Now you will learn!" The Asian pirate, who had been silent thus far, said, as he brandished a large black whip. "Sorry, but I'm not that kind of a girl!" She took a step forward.

Laura grinned evilly as she whirled to face the Asian. "Are you sure that you boys want to play?" She challenged. Six of them closed in on Laura, while the crew leader hung back, keeping his distance. He didn't exactly fear Gold Wing, but was cautious nonetheless.

"We don't have time for dis, Mr. Declan!" Captain Morgan argued. "Oh let the boys have some fun!" The British thug sneered. He had lengthy reddish brown hair, and a matching beard and moustache. "Can't we just kill the bloody Sheila, and move on?" The Aussie argued.

"Just shoot her!" Captain Morgan growled. Earlier, Laura had deposited the rest of their guns in a deep trench merely a few yards from the cave entrance. "Shoot her with what?" The Brit complained. The six thugs encircled Gold Wing, drawing within arm's length of the young superhero.

Finally, the Asian swung his whip at her. The edge of it contained a sharp, steel, hook. Gold Wing sidestepped the whip, and hit the floor beside her with a loud snap. Captain Morgan took a downward swing at Laura's shoulder with his machete. She avoided the polished blade easily and stepped back into him, elbowing him in the ribcage lightly. He grunted, but continued the assault.

_Okay, too light_. Laura analyzed her strength. "Shee Ya!" Gold Wing yelled and spun on her heel, issuing a vicious kick and connecting with the largest thug's stomach. He flew across the cave and impacted the wall, causing about another half dozen stalactites to come crashing down on the cave floor.

_Hmm! Too hard_! She continued to analyze. "Did you see that, Captain Morgan? A demon dis one is!" The smaller of the dark skinned thugs shouted. "C'mon! Bring it!" Gold Wing goaded. The Aussie and the Asian attacked simultaneously. The Asian swung his whip, and this time, Laura grabbed it and pulled him into her waiting fist. Crack! The Asian's jaw was likely broken. He crumpled at her feet.

The Aussie tried to put his arms around Laura's throat, attempting to choke her with a chain. Immediately, she flipped him over her head, and he landed with a thud about thirty feet away, sliding into a wall on the slimy floor. _That felt about right_. Gold Wing concluded. _Three down and four to go_. She mused, pivoting slightly to face the remaining assailants.

The smaller and younger of the dark skinned pirates waved his machete menacingly at Laura and sliced at her stomach. Naturally, she easily avoided the slash. If she were a normal person, the machete would have gutted her like a fish. The assailant took another more direct swipe at Laura's head.

Gold Wing grabbed the machete blade between the palms of her hands, and yanked it out of the attacker's grip. She whipped the machete towards a nearby wall and it stuck in the rock, blade first. The young African had gotten too close. Laura spun down with a low kick that not only knocked the small thug's feet out from under him, but caused him to flip sideways landing with a thud on his shoulder.

_Three left_, Laura thought as she snickered. "Captain Morgan! What is dis? We are cursed by dis she demon!" The injured young African whined. "Quiet, Upulu! There's no such ting as a pirate's curse!" He admonished. Morgan held his ribs and winced.

By now, the leader, who sounded American, had enough. He grabbed for a hidden pistol that he'd strapped to his right thigh and fired at Gold Wing. The first two shots hit Laura in the side and stomach, and she barely felt the impacts. The last thug, some kind of local Pacific Islander, whipped a six inch dagger at Laura's head. She caught it in her left hand.

In a smooth motion, Laura transferred the dagger to her right hand and threw it back at the Islander. It hit him at full speed in the left shoulder, skewering it, and blood splattered in every direction as the thug went down to one knee, holding the sliced skin in place to slow the bleeding. He would live.

That left the American with the gun, the pirate leader, to face Gold Wing alone. She stalked him slowly as he continued to fire rounds of ammo at her. Using her enhanced reflexes, Gold Wing avoided any more hits from the spray of small caliber bullets. In seconds, she was in the leader's face.

The American steeled his resolve, and fired the pistol at point blank range into Laura's forehead. This time she felt more of a sting, though the bullet flattened, and harmlessly fell to the ground at Gold Wing's feet. Laura worried that her Loracite level might be starting to falter, so she decided to tempt fate no further. With one hand she grabbed the leader by his throat, lifting him off the cave floor.

In the blink of an eye, Laura yanked the gun from the warlord's hand, and smashed it against the cave wall behind him. The pristine black gun was reduced to a crumpled hunk of metal. It clattered to the floor. "I think that you need to find a new line of work!" Gold Wing menaced. With that, she tossed the pirate leader into a narrow ravine just above a much deeper looking pit.

"What de hell are you, a demon?" Captain Morgan asked as he finally got back up on one knee, holding his injured ribcage. "You're worst nightmare! Perhaps I am the curse!" Laura growled, and zipped off into the darkness. To Captain Morgan, she had disappeared, moving faster than the naked eye could see. The warlord ship captain regained his composure, and vowed to avenge this humiliation.

Meanwhile, Declan, a much more intelligent criminal, committed this bizarre event to memory. He would ask his boss, Rex Rowland, through the proper channels of communication, what exactly this girl was, and how she'd bested six heavily armed pirates. _There was something more going on here_…he mused. …_And I want in!_

Laura sped out of the cave, up a sharply inclining ridge, and executed a perfect swan dive into the warm, salty water of the cay inlet. The water refreshed her, and seemed to sharpen her thoughts. This island still held many mysteries, and Gold Wing would return to the Isle of Tears, but this time, she and Tim would be much more prepared. _Dinosaurs? Seriously_! Laura mused as she caught up to The Dahlia.

She climbed up onto the rear deck of the small transport, and was greeted with stunned stares by Nashika and Tamika, and a relieved smile by Tim, who quickly hugged his soaking wet good friend. "Where de hell were you?" Nashika snapped. "Oh, just out for a swim." Laura deadpanned. "Did I miss anything?" Tamika laughed raucously as she attempted to clean up the passenger cabin.

"By the way, since I had to swim halfway out into the Pacific to meet you, do Tim and I get a discount on the transportation fee?" Laura needled. "When de monkeys fly out my butt!" Nashika hissed. "Let's go home!" Tim glanced at Tamika. "I take that as a no." He concluded.

End part 1


	27. Chapter 27: Return to Dinosaur Island

**Chapter 27** Gold Wing – _Return to Dinosaur Island_

As Tamika agilely leapt out of The Dahlia, landing softly on the slowly rotting dock near their base of operations, Nashika sighed underneath her breath. "I expect full payment for dis trip!" She snarled at Tim. "I should charge you more for getting me mixed up wit de pirates!"

"That's not fair!" Tim retorted. "How were we supposed to know that the pirates would attack you in that specific cove near the Isle of Tears?" Laura had been giving this situation a lot of thought, but she still came up with more questions than answers. "Here, Nashika…" She handed the woman cash.

Tamika had tied the boat to the aged pier, and began unloading what was left of Laura and Tim's things. "We'll pay for the damaged radio as well." Gold Wing offered. "We will?" Tim asked curiously. "Yes. I don't mind the added expense, but I will have to reload my cash stash in town."

"Tank you, kids." Nashika was clearly impressed. "Don't take dis de wrong way, but I hope to never see you again!" Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Understood." Laura laughed as she handed the boat owner the extra cash from their travel account. "Take care!" The elder woman said.

Tamika had finished her duties securing The Dahlia, and vaulted up the pier, landing beside Laura. She gave the older teen a hug, and said quietly into Laura's ear: "Tank you for saving us!" Gold Wing gulped and shrugged. "I didn't do anything." Tamika chuckled. "I don't believe dat for a minute. Someone sheared the leather bindings dat da pirates bound us with. I don't know how, but you did it!"

Laura was about to deny the accusation further before Nashika called to her daughter to get moving and let the tourists go. "I tink you are an angel." Tamika insisted as she smiled brightly and followed her mother across the pier and into the supply store. "Come on, Tim." Gold Wing urged. "We have to get organized." Tim instantly paled. "Organized to do what, exactly?" His voice wavered.

"Why to go back to the Isle of Tears, of course." Laura chuckled. "This mystery is far from solved, and I still don't know exactly what we're up against." Tim scowled. "You're insane! We can't wrap this mystery up in a week!" He whined. "Tim, does that whine come with cheese?" Gold Wing taunted. "Which reminds me, I'm hungry and I need a new Loracite infusion."

"That's the most sensible thing that I've heard you say all day." Tim grabbed his gear and followed her up the pier, across the wharf, and into the more populated section of Tahiti. From here, they could make cell phone contact with America. Laura whipped out the cell and called Oliver.

"Gold Wing to Watchtower Base…Can you hear me?" She said as loudly as she dared. A number of curious islanders and other tourists watched their arrival near the busy restaurant sector. "Gold Wing, this is…uh…Lu Lu." Tess Mercer's voice returned. "Lu Lu?" Gold Wing snickered. "Whatever works for you." Tess was obviously ashamed of her odd nickname. "Just go with it." Tess growled.

Tim gave Laura a questioning look. "Okay LuLu, is Arrow there?" Laura asked. "No. He and Watchtower went out to dinner with Boy Scout and Army Brat." Tess replied. "Give them a message to call me back when they get a chance." Laura directed. "Anything that I can help you with?" Tess offered.

"Not unless you know how to trap live dinosaurs." Gold Wing teased. "Excuse me, Gold Wing…did you say live dinosaurs?" Tess repeated the odd message. "Yes I did, one hundred percent living, breathing, Jurassic Park refugees, albeit somewhat smaller ones than the movies." Laura added. "This definitely goes on Watchtower's Wall of Weird on line website, and I've got pictures…downloading now."

Gold Wing flipped on the 'send photo' button, adding them to the Watchtower's secret E Mail data base. By now, the young couple had made their way over to a nice outdoor café, and grabbed some seats near the entrance in case they needed to make a quick exit. "Got them?" Laura inquired.

"Um…yeah…I do!" Tess gasped. "Holy crap! Are you sure that you two didn't take a wrong turn into Disneyland?" Tess teased. "Nope, LuLu, those animals were not animatronic, and they sure as hell smelled and snarled like real dinosaurs. Ask T Bone, over here." Laura handed the phone to Tim. "They definitely tried to eat us!" He shuddered as he spoke. "Maybe, eat you, but I had the creatures under control." Laura boasted shamelessly, loud enough for Tess to hear.

"Okay…I'll get right on it." Tess volunteered. "What are you little adventurers up to now?" She asked. Laura smiled mischievously. "We're heading back to investigate. I don't see any reason to get the team involved yet, but we'll be out of touch for a while, because the cells down here get stuck in a dead zone. We can't call out or receive any calls." Gold Wing informed her.

"I don't like that." Tess said with amazing concern. "You two should be wearing the GPS tags that Arrow gave you. They're guaranteed to work anywhere in the world…anywhere." She emphasized. "We need to track the Team down in case of a real emergency." Laura nodded. "Agreed. I'm snapping mine on right now. See if you have a fix on us." Gold Wing waited patiently for Tess's response.

"Okay, I've got you…" Tess confirmed. "Tahiti? Really? How come I don't get assignments like that?" She asked sarcastically. "This isn't an assignment." Gold Wing corrected. "I'm freelancing!" Tess scowled on the phone's view screen. "Fine!" She snapped. "I'll inform Watchtower and Arrow on your whereabouts. By the way, don't forget about the wedding this fall!"

Laura chuckled. "We'll only be down here for the week…this time." She informed Tess. "I'll contact you with any further details that we may come across." Tess shook her head, and tapped some keys on the keyboard below the view screen monitor. "Okay. Got it. I put your basic coordinates into the data base. Arrow won't be very happy." Laura sighed. "He will be, if we find something cool… Gold Wing out!"

After dinner, Laura and Tim decided to investigate the local nightlife. Most teenagers wouldn't be allowed to roam the streets alone, but obviously, Gold Wing wouldn't get into any trouble. "Tim, let's stop by the hotel and load up on cash and I'll grab a Loracite refill. The two of them decided to share the hotel room, which seemed rather awkward at first. Tim was unusually nervous.

Laura treated Tim like her best friend or a brother, but he'd had to admit that he was attracted to Laura since the day he'd met her. They were like opposing sides of a coin. Laura was brave and adventurous, while Tim was practical, mild-mannered, and nerdy. He often wondered what it would be like for their roles to be reversed. _What if he was brave and super powered, and she was nerdy and pragmatic_?

Tim used his budding scientific expertise to create a reasonably tasty Loracite laced milkshake for her. One part Loracite mineral powder, two parts milk or water, he mused as he mixed the cocktail for his good friend. "Here you go, Ace, Loracite special, shaken not stirred." He quipped as Laura thanked him.

Laura gulped down the shake, and immediately felt a power surge. "Not bad, Tim-ster!" She praised. The drink always had some preliminary side effects, some of which were unsettling. This time, Laura's hair turned a bright golden blonde, and her usually clear blue eyes quickly turned to golden orange. The adrenaline pump made Laura talk excessively and quickly. She rambled on for several minutes.

Tim charted all of the Loracite side effects for their ongoing study on the unusual mineral compound. He busily tapped away on his little Raspberry device, recording every physical, personality, and feeling change that Laura discussed. They hoped that all this data would provide some guidelines for Gold Wing in the future. Next year, Tim was to attend college at a prominent university. However, he didn't want to put Laura's personal information into a public computer system.

Oliver Queen had vowed to let Tim access the Watchtower's supercomputer to record and categorize all of Laura's physiological data. That would be their strategy going forward. The young people finally went to sleep, but Laura's Loracite infused mind kept on racing well into the next morning. Overnight, Laura's hair turned back to its more common raven black with the two golden blonde strands along her face.

"I have a plan, Tim." Laura announced as she unabashedly trotted towards the shower in nothing but a bath towel. He gulped, trying to keep his eyes on Laura's face. "I was afraid you'd say that." He mildly protested. "Are we going to rent another local transporter?" He inquired. "No not this time." She replied. "Today, we take the Gold Wing express back out to the Isle of Tears, and its sister island, Los Islas de Muerto." Tim scowled. "Doesn't that mean 'Island of the Dead' in Spanish?"

"The very same." Laura confirmed as she kicked the bathroom door partially closed with one bare foot. Gold Wing jumped into the shower as Tim scrounged around the nightstand for a postcard to send his family back home in Falcon Claw, Nebraska. "Island of the dead?" Tim muttered. "Doesn't that sound charming?" he grumbled, as he found a postcard and filled it out.

Tim felt something dripping onto his neck. "Whatcha writing?" Laura asked, hovering over his shoulder in a bright orange yellow bikini and flowered multicolored wraparound towel. "Geez! Did you even use soap?" Tim groused. "Of course, genius! Super speed, remember?" She teased. "Oh yeah." Tim reddened as he spoke. "I'm sending a card to the family. This is supposed to be our vacation."

"Great." Laura smirked. "Tell ma and pa that I said hi! Should we bring them a souvenir dinosaur or two?" She asked sarcastically. "I think not." Tim deadpanned. After breakfast and mailing the card, the teen sleuths made their way through the various shops and supply stores in the tourist filled area.

Laura had reloaded her vacation money stash, and set about purchasing what she thought that they needed. "Tim, we're heading back to the outlying islands today, but we'll only be taking a minimum of supplies. Each of us will carry a backpack, so figure out exactly what you need to bring." She directed.

"Might I suggest leaving your mousse hair gel, toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash behind?" Laura teased. "Okay, but it will be on your head if I have bad breath." Tim countered. "I'll survive." Gold Wing joked. "We should be fine unless you're planning to make out with a Velociraptor." She added playfully.

"How long are we planning to explore these bizarre islands?" Tim complained. "I'm not sure." Laura admitted. "Don't worry, though, we can always zip back to Tahiti to reload supplies. I'm not quite sure what to expect, Tim. None of this adds up. The dinosaurs were only about two thirds the size of the originals, as near as I can figure. If this is a scientific experiment then who is behind it?"

"Ready?" Gold Wing asked her timid sidekick. "I suppose." He reluctantly replied. Laura took him by the hand and led him across the pier, behind a small warehouse. To uninterested observers, the teens would appear to be looking for a place to fool around. Laura checked every direction, and burst into hyper speed, dragging Tim along with her. He tried to yell, but the air wouldn't fill up his lungs.

Gold Wing ran forward, and dove into the water! She ran along the sandy bottom, disrupting stingrays, nurse sharks, and crabs who were busily digging through the muck for a meal. Laura sped across the bays, coves, and cays that surrounded the Isle of Tears, and the Isle of the Dead.

She resurfaced near the cove where she'd defeated the pirates. This whole journey took less than twenty seconds, so Tim was never in any danger of drowning. He angrily coughed up some of the salty sea water, spewing it onto the rocky beach. "Don't…ever do that…again!" He growled in between gasps for air.

Laura flashed him an innocent smile, asking: "What?" Tim was doubled over, in an attempt to catch his breath. "Next time, keep your mouth closed!" She needled. Their backpacks were wet, but they would dry soon enough in the warm subtropical sunshine. Something screeched above them.

"What was that?" Tim quickly glanced upwards. "Apparently, someone has already laid claim to this island." Laura commented, recognizing the silhouette of three good sized Pterodactyls plastered against the clear blue midmorning sky. The Pterodactyls dove towards them in a roughly spearhead formation. "I knew this was a bad idea." Tim yelled as he ran towards the cave entrance.


	28. Chapter 28: Return to Dinosaur Island 2

**Return to Dinosaur Island: **_chapter2_

Tim and Laura vaulted over the stalagmites that lined the cave's floor, landing clumsily near the craggy ridge that separated the main chamber from the antechamber. The annoying Pterodactyls, some with wingspans as wide as six feet, squealed and chattered their warning sounds as they pursued the invaders to their territory. The flapping of the huge wings stirred up the ancient cave floor dust.

"Quick Tim! In here!" Gold Wing directed. The Pterodactyls would never cause any damage to Laura's thick skin, and densely packed, Loracite infused molecules, but Tim wouldn't be as lucky. Gold Wing turned to face the attacking winged dinosaurs, gently swatting them away from her face. They squawked and screeched as the surprised creatures impacted the cave walls.

Most of the animals were not injured, but some weren't particularly smart, relentlessly chasing the teen explorers deeper into the pitch black darkness of the caves. Tim slipped on the slimy moss that lined the dank cave floor rocks, and Laura had to take her attention off of the pursuing flying reptiles to try and catch him. Gold Wing somehow lost her balance and tripped into Tim, knocking him into a recess.

The pitch black cave floor suddenly dropped off into a deep ravine. Both teens flew head over heels into the midnight darkness falling rapidly down the shaft. "Oops!" Laura shouted over the din of the rushing air. "Oops?" Tim shouted back at her. "There is no oops!" He screamed.

"Don't worry Tim!" Laura yelled. "I got you!" They had been falling for quite a few seconds by now. Even Gold Wing's enhanced Metahuman vision wouldn't allow her to see into the inky blackness. She felt for, rather than saw the ravine's inner wall. Laura dug her nails into the rocky, mineral deposits to slow their descent. Simultaneously, Gold Wing grabbed Tim by the collar of his loud Hawaiian shirt.

Laura's grip was tight, and she hoped that Tim's shirt wouldn't simply rip apart with the added pressure. Her plan sort of worked. She's slowed their descent to a crawl, and still held Tim in her grasp. Some dim light was making its way up from the bottom of the fissure. This allowed them to get an idea of their surroundings. They still had a good fifty feet to fall by Laura's estimation.

"Tim, I think that I can stop us, so hold on tight to my arm." Gold Wing directed. Tim reluctantly did a half turn, holding Laura's arm with all of his might. The two teens were nearly face to face. "I'm going to let go of the cave wall." She began warily. "I'm going to vault down towards that light."

"Light? That better not be lava!" Tim whined, trying bravely not to cry. Laura had considered that. "I think that it's just phosphorescent algae. It seems to be bluish green, not hot orange, yellow, or red. Anyway, it's not as if we have much choice in the matter."

"Laurie, before we die, I have to tell you something." Tim's voice cracked with roiling emotions. "Don't, Tim! We'll manage to survive. I promise!" Gold Wing tried to concentrate her enhanced vision on the edge of the bluish green light. "Just in case!" Tim insisted. "I love you!"

Laura felt really bad for the guy. "Awww! Thanks, but love is just too big a word for me to say! Trust me, we'll be fine!" She reassured him. "Ready? I'm going to make our jump." Gold Wing let go of the fissure's side wall and grabbed Tim, completely holding him next to her body.

_If that is lava down there, this is going to be our last leap._ She thought worriedly. They fell towards the opposite side of the ravine wall, and Gold Wing kicked off of it, corkscrewing in midair to make sure that Tim landed on top of her. Her body would break his fall assuming that they would land on solid ground.

Gold Wing landed flat on her back atop a rocky ledge, roughly seventeen by twenty feet across. The ledge cracked as Laura's dense bone structure impacted it, leaving an impression in the rock that surrounded her body. Tim, as planned, landed on Laura's stomach and chest area.

"Ow!" Tim yelped as his right foot smacked the edge of the outcrop. "Well, we're not dead!" Laura said as soon as she'd caught her breath. The fall wouldn't hurt her of course, but it was still unsettling. Tim remained atop Laura waiting for the nausea to subside. "Tim? Are you okay?" Gold Wing prodded.

Tim answered with a barely perceptible nod. "The good news is that we're not surrounded by lava." Laura began. "The bad news is that we're stuck way in the hell below the cave's surface. We must've fallen into an old volcanic fissure. We were falling for quite a while, maybe a minute or more."

"Tim? You can get off of me now." Laura said coolly. "Just be careful. Don't step back or in any direction." The dazed teen genius crawled to his feet, and wobbly sat down near Laura. "Are you sure you're okay?" She probed as she quickly flipped to her feet and glanced around.

"Yeah. Peachy" Tim croaked. "I'm still waiting for my head to stop spinning and my stomach to slide back down out of my throat." Gold Wing smirked as she examined the walls of the fissure closely. Her first guess was correct. The walls were covered in phosphorescent algae, and an underground spring of colorful water streamed past them. The water rushed by so quickly that they could hear the waves.

Laura gazed upwards at the end of the shaft that they'd fallen through. Several rocks seemed to have colorful crystals embedded within them. They reflected the light from the phosphorescent algae and caused a prismatic rainbow-like effect throughout the area. This in turn reflected off of the rushing water. Given all that, the area was sufficiently illuminated to walk through without a flashlight.

They were at a 'y' shaped rock outcropping that divided the spring water flow into two separate caverns. Each chamber was roughly ten feet across and at least that in height. The stream seemed to lead into a much wider antechamber, just beyond the edge of their visual horizon. Gold Wing thought that it was strikingly beautiful. "Tim, do you happen to know what kind of rocks these are?"

Laura dug her hand into the wall from which the ledge protruded. She retrieved a handful of mineral rock and a number of sparkling stones that had been embedded within it. Tim warily stood up, leaning on Gold Wing's shoulder for balance. "Let's see." He instructed, happy to get his mind off of the fall, and the admission of his love for Laura, which had thoroughly embarrassed him.

Tim put the crystalline stones up close to his eye, after quickly removing the sediment from his wire-framed glasses. "Laurie, I'm no Geologist, but these crystals could very well be rough diamonds!" He exclaimed. "Really? If you're right, Tim-Ster, we just became exceedingly rich!" She yelled over the rushing water of the underground river. "How would we get it all out of here?" Tim questioned.

"We can start by filling our backpacks and pockets with them, even the small ones." Laura replied, momentarily overcome by greed. "Don't overload yourself, Tim. I can carry more than you." She added.

The teens filled up their belongings with as many diamonds as they dare carry. "Next question." Tim began. "How do we get out of here?" Laura answered with a shrug. "I'm still working on it." She replied cynically. "One option is for me to strap you across my back and climb up the shaft towards the cavern. That would be dangerous and painstakingly slow, even with my super abilities."

"Or?" Tim cocked his head. "Or, we can jump into the underground river, and swim through either one or the other of the diamond chambers." Laura was brainstorming. "The problem with that is that it's also dangerous and you could drown or get injured bouncing against the cavern walls. Additionally, we have no idea where the chambers lead. We could end up getting sucked down deeper into the Earth's core."

"Terrific." Tim groused. "It figures that we would become fabulously wealthy just in time to die." Gold Wing chuckled. "We're not going to die, at least not yet. We'd just take longer to get back home. If we head into a chamber, and it leads to nowhere, we can always come back here and climb up the shaft."

"Hmmm!" Tim considered the alternatives. "What if the chamber leads deeper into the Earth, like you said?" Laura folded her arms patiently. "Same problem. We'd have to get back up here to reach the shaft." Laura eyed the route ahead of them. With her enhanced vision coupled with the fairly well lit diamond chambers, she picked out a third route. "Unless…" She thought out loud.

"Unless what?" Tim impatiently prodded. "We can try leapfrogging from ledge to ledge, and take the chamber route much more slowly." Gold Wing explained. "What?" Tim bellowed. "How is that any safer than the other two ways out?" Laura flashed an evil grin. "I didn't say that it was any safer. I just said that it was another route. Besides, if we don't get any further doing that, then we can always toss ourselves into the water." Tim scowled. "Whatever works, I guess!"

"That's the spirit, Tim-Ster." Gold Wing quipped as she bent over and into a kneeling position. "Now, wrap your legs around my waist." Laura instructed with a sparkle in her eyes. Tim complied, assuming the position of a horseback ride, like he'd done with his father as a child, and then wrapped his arms across her shoulders, clasping his hands under her chin. "Comfy?" She teased.

"If I wasn't scared to death, I'd probably be enjoying this right now." Tim clumsily flirted. Laura snickered as she readied her angle for the leap. "Get over it! You're the one that said that you loved me!" She playfully taunted her good friend. "Diamonds secured?" Laura questioned. "Yes." Tim responded.

"Ready? Set! Go!" Gold Wing warned as she leapt to her feet and hyper sped from the back of the ledge, vaulting high into the air and arcing over the onrushing water to a similarly configured ledge ahead of them and across the chamber. There were many more ledges before them. Laura viewed each one carefully with her enhanced vision, measured her leap, and timed it perfectly for a graceful landing.

"This would be a lot easier if I could fly like Kara." Laura complained as they jumped from ledge to ledge throughout the smaller chamber. They had chosen the left branch of the tunnel randomly. Gold Wing soared further and further with her leaps, sometimes skipping an entire ledge to land on one just beyond.

After a few more launches, they'd landed on a small precipice overlooking a much larger chamber. The drop down was only about twenty feet in Laura's estimation. The walls were still lined with phosphorescent algae and diamonds. This huge chamber still reflected enough light for them to easily see their way. Gold Wing examined the landscape.

The antechamber was nearly circular and the roof very high. The ceiling's stalactites were varied in height and widths, and some had diamonds embedded in them. Laura helped Tim off of her and steadied his walk near the precipice's edge. Integrated with the normal looking stalactites, were protrusions made of pure crystal…_or were they pure diamond_? Tim wondered.

Laura followed her friend's gaze. "Are those stalactites pure diamond?" She echoed his silent observation. "Possibly, but I wouldn't know for sure unless I got a closer look at them." Tim replied thoughtfully. "No, you may not knock one down for me! It would be just our luck that one missing stalactite would cause the entire cavern roof to collapse." He warned.

Laura couldn't argue his logic. "There is another way." She mentioned. "Tim, I think that the water from the underground spring is pooling at the base of this cavern. I could see the floor of it, and all of this water has to go somewhere, otherwise it would have been flooded years ago." She pointed to several broken stalactite pieces that littered the now visible cavern floor.

The water indeed appeared to be exiting in one, a large hole nearly at the center of the cave floor, and two, another branch of the river at the opposite side of the chamber from them. "Okay, but be careful!" Tim urged. Gold Wing put her backpack down and prepared to dive into the streaming multicolored waterway. She leapt, executing a perfect swan dive near the cavern's drain hole.

Tim estimated that the water's depth wasn't more than twenty feet at the center, as it grew shallower closer to the rock formations that ringed the cavern walls. Nearest the wall the water's depth couldn't have been more than three to four feet. It resembled a giant brightly lit swimming pool.

Suddenly, Tim had a horrible thought as he intensely watched Gold Wing swim along the bottom, collecting the oddly colored stalactites. Laura's original power came from her body ingesting the yellow raw Loracite mineral in a hidden cave like this one, though smaller. What if the water or the minerals within it would counteract Laura's Loracite filled, reorganized DNA? Would she become powerless?

"Laurie! Get out of there!" Tim yelled at the top of his lungs. Gold Wing ignored him as she collected a few more crystalline stalactites. Soon after, Gold Wing surfaced, with stalactites in hand, as she brushed the raven black hair from her eyes, smoothing it back against her head.

Next: **The Crystal Cave**


	29. Chapter 29: The Crystal Cave

Chapter 29

**The Crystal Cave**

Laura climbed out of the pool of water along the cave's floor. She spun faster than the eye could see to dry off her clothing. Gold Wing placed the crystalline stalactites at Tim's feet. "Laurie, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. "Sure. I'm fine, but I don't think that these crystals are made up of diamonds. They seem to be made of an entirely different material, like a cross between glass and steel."

"Let's take them with anyway." Laura urged, gingerly packing them in some spare clothes that they'd brought with them. Across the crystal lined cavern some growling noises were heard. "Laurie, I don't think we're alone anymore." Tim pointed out the obvious.

The artificial light from the phosphorescent algae and the prismatic crystals played against the walls of an inlet leading to the larger antechamber. Two large silhouettes ringed the wall nearest to the pool of spring water. Gold Wing focused her enhanced vision on the area which was far below them, but the stream of water led back into the pool, suggesting that the opposing tunnel was on an incline.

"There are definitely two or more creatures lurking in that tunnel." Laura observed. "They sound agitated, and they sound like dinosaurs." Tim shuddered at the thought of encountering more unexplained prehistoric animals on this alleged vacation trip. "What the hell would dinosaurs be doing way down here?" Tim inquired. "There are no obvious visible food sources, other than us."

"Maybe they fell down here from the surface like we did." Laura guessed. "That could mean that there is another way out of these catacombs." Tim nodded and edged closer to the cavern floor pool. There were still a good number of broken stalactites strewn across the rocky crags that sloped down towards the pool. The mysterious crystals were certainly not rare, but were most likely never before seen by man.

"What are you thinking of trying?" Tim asked hesitantly. "We grab the crystals and chase the dinosaurs back up through the tunnel towards the surface." Laura replied, making a plan in an instant. "What makes you think that the animals could get back up there? Dinosaurs were inherently stupid." Tim stated.

"Did you notice that the water streams down from the incline slowly, which leads me to believe that the tunnel gradually angles towards the surface, not simply drops down here through a hole." She explained. "In theory, the dinosaurs would be more likely to slip and fall down here, and have a hard time scrambling back up, especially if the tunnel base has been worn smooth by the passage of time."

"Very logical, Mrs. Holmes." Tim quipped. "Elementary, my dear Tim." Laura returned the playful gest. "Ready? Grab onto my back and we'll skip down the slope to where the dinosaurs are roaming." Tim picked up the several crystalline stalactite pieces, and stuffed them into his backpack.

Laura took a running leap. Tim clung tightly onto her shoulders, as she landed briefly a good twenty meters ahead of where they were, and then leapt again, swooping downward another thirty meters or so. This last vault placed them square in the dinosaurs' sights. The animals were startled, and quickly backed away a few large paces. Tim gawked at the creatures, trying to determine their species.

The two dinosaurs were about twenty feet long from nose to tip of tail. They walked upright, had elongated snouts, and were completely feathered! "What the hell are they?" Laura exclaimed.

Tim stared for a long period of time at them. One was slightly larger than the other, and his plumage was brightly colored, the shades running from light tan to a slightly darker brown, with reds and yellows scattered sparsely throughout. The second, the female, sported more muted colors, like tan to dull light brown, and appeared to be heavier set, possibly pregnant. He guessed.

"Feathered dinosaurs? Seriously Tim, are we seeing this?" Laura was incredulous. The male had begun to roar and growl, likely a show of force to protect his mate. Gold Wing used her enhanced vision and hearing, and determined that there were no more animals in the vicinity.

"I'm not familiar with this species." Laura admitted. "I believe that they're Chinese dinosaurs called Tyrannus Huali, I remember reading about the discovery of their fossilized remains just before we left on this vacation from hell. Yes, they are related to Tyrannosaurus Rex."

"Yeah, well no one told these guys that they're supposed to be extinct." Laura remarked. "Tim, do you see that the tunnel inclines upward? I guess I was right on the money." The dinosaurs were raising holy hell, growling and hissing and snapping, yet they did not relent. The animals stood their ground.

"Now what?" Tim wondered aloud. "Tim, can you stay here for a bit while I investigate the tunnel, and hopefully draw the dinosaurs back to the surface with me?" Laura was already estimating how far she'd have to leap to pass close to the animals, and distract them from harassing Tim.

"I suppose so. I just hope that they can't swim." Tim responded nervously, as he stepped down off of Laura's back. "If they can, just give me a yell and I'll zip back down. Ready?" Gold Wing crouched low to the ground, and adjusted her angle for the leap. "Okay, go for it, Laurie." Tim swallowed hard.

Laura vaulted low and extended her arms before her, landing a mere two or three meters from the Tyrannus Hualtis. The animals recoiled, growling and snapping at Laura. She somersaulted forward, and jumped to a standing position just beyond the slashing, whip-like tails of the animals.

"C'mon!" Gold Wing yelled and stamped her feet to attract the dinosaurs' attention. She whistled and howled, as the Tyrannus mates spun around and began tracking her. They'd completely forgotten about Tim, instead making an attempt to grab the much closer meal. The aggressive male lowered his head and snapped near Laura's feet. The female moved slower, but mirrored her mates snapping and snarling.

Laura backpedaled up the incline, using the phosphorescent algae as guiding light. She moved quickly backwards, step after step, all the while whooping and hollering at the dinosaurs. Sure enough, soon after, the footing became slimy and slick. There was no way that the clumsy Tyrannus couple could climb back up out of the tunnel. "Time for plan B." Laura muttered as the animals slipped and fell against the wall.

Gold Wing glanced upward, and could see some light showing through the top of the angled shaft. It was quite the way up, and it would take a leap that she'd never been able to do before to get them out of this mess. "Talk about a leap of faith." She grumbled. If she slipped and fell, Laura would land right in the laps of the hungry, snarling dinosaurs.

It was unlikely that even the animals' razor sharp teeth could penetrate Laura's dense, Loracite enhanced hide, and the dinosaurs would probably break their teeth, but that didn't help Tim at all. "I'd better try this on my own, first." She mumbled.

Laura slid back down to the area of the shaft nearest the Tyrannus pair, and before the animals could take note, she ran up the craggy side of the tunnel wall, which happened to be less slimy than the floor. With a huge effort, Gold Wing braced her knees against the wall and vaulted straight up, cutting the huge distance in half between the crystal cave and the lighted shaft entrance high above.

Still, she hadn't made it all the way towards the top. Laura hung angrily from the side of the tunnel wall. Her first attempt had been a failure. I'll have to crawl the rest of the way, she considered. With a hard slice from her hand, Laura had cut a foothold in the rocky tunnel wall, and then another one, and so it went for an agonizing few minutes, as she crawled up the wall like some type of insect.

Far below, Tim was waiting impatiently near the pool in the crystal cave. He examined the structure, and determined that parts of it were manmade. There were sharp cuts in pieces of the cavern wall that appeared to be carved with some kind of a tool. They hadn't been the first ones to visit the subterranean spring that ran beneath this island and throughout the catacomb tunnel system after all.

Someone had been mining the crystal stalactites for some as yet unknown purpose, he mused. The animals began howling again, and Tim shuddered despite the warm, humid, feel of the mysterious cavern. Laura had been gone for quite a few minutes, he noted worriedly. The Tyrannus Huatis hadn't shown their slick snouts back in the crystal cavern yet. Tim shifted uneasily as he picked up a crystal piece.

Back in the angled tunnel, Laura was finally nearing the aperture atop the shaft, and the intense sunlight nearly blinded her. She placed one cautious hand along the rim of the breach, and then the other. She popped her head out of the fissure and into the warm, humid, air of the island.

Cautiously, Gold Wing hoisted herself out of the hole and glanced around. She was centered in a paradise of sorts, with colorful tropical foliage stretching as far as the eye could see. There were no other visible animals nearby, and the Garden of Eden like valley was reasonably quiet and surrounded by volcanic like mountains, some if which occasionally spewed steam, presumably from underground springs.

In short, it was beautiful. Laura observed. She finished climbing out of the shaft, and set about completing a new plan. The first obstacle was the Tyrannus Hualtis, because they stood in between Tim and the surface. The second was how to return through the angled tunnel, and rescue the dinosaurs. Laura had already cut a number of handholds and footholds into the rocks, so she could move more efficiently.

I suppose I could just haul the dinosaurs back up here first, she rationalized, preferably without injuring them. This would take extreme speed and accuracy, she considered. Laura sighed and readied her return to the crystal cave, by climbing in and back down to the halfway point, and cutting more footholds in the wall. I could just relocate the Tyrannus mates at a different point in the crystal cave, she reasoned.

Laura decided to drop down the shaft and surprise the animals. "If only Clark and Oliver could see me now." She chuckled. "Gold Wing, dinosaur rescuer." With that, she dove downward and landed next to the shocked male. In seconds, Laura grabbed the dinosaur's snout clamping it shut with one hand, and wrapped her arm around the feathery animal's neck and yanked him off his feet.

The startled female backed away as Laura wrestled the Tyrannus Hualti to the ground. Once she had position over the lengthy animals back, she lifted him up and zipped across the edge of the crystal cave's pool, quickly placing him in another tunnel entranceway, far from Tim.

Tim watched in disbelief as Laura sped past him, carrying the dinosaur that was more than twice her size. "Laura, what the hell are you doing?" He yowled as Laura zipped past to catch the pregnant female. "I'm just doing a little old fashioned dinosaur wrangling, partner." She quipped.

Laura cornered the female and she snarled and lowered her head, baring a full set of razor sharp teeth. "Easy girl," Laura tried unsuccessfully to calm the expectant mother. The female shifted her position, slashing at Gold Wing with her tail. The Tyrannus Huati lunged at Laura's neck, and the superhero turned dinosaur wrestler, sidestepped the angry mother's snapping jaws, grabbing her by the whip-like tail.

Simultaneously, Laura pulled the tail across the dinosaur's back and gripped her snout, closing it shut. Rather than forcing the pregnant female to the ground, she carefully lifted it up and carried her sideways to the tunnel standing her next to her mate. The male snapped at Laura's arm, narrowly missing it. Gold Wing's reactions were far quicker, as she somersaulted backwards across the ridge toward Tim.

"Well, that'll keep them out of the way for a while." Laura announced as she finally vaulted next to Tim. "What was that all about, Laurie?" He asked in frustration. "Oh, it's just your average dinosaur relocation project." Gold Wing joked. "We can get back top side through that angled tunnel, but it won't be easy, and I still want to get the animals out of here as well." Laura explained.

Tim picked up their backpacks and the handful of crystals they'd gathered, and followed Laura over to where the Tyrannus pair had been. "After I get you out of here, I'm coming back down to see where that other tunnel leads, the one where I placed the dinosaurs. It seemed to be a more gradual incline, but there weren't enough phosphorescent algae along the floor and walls to see much of anything."

"This is going to be tricky, and inefficient, but we'll manage." Laura informed him. "What's up there?" Tim asked worriedly. "All I saw were a bunch of colorful plants and other foliage, with no visible animals. It seemed quiet and calm." She replied. "Ready?" Tim nodded. "Hold onto my back again, and don't let go, or I'll have to bring you back to the states in pieces." Gold Wing warned.

Tim gulped as he complied. Laura set herself up at the edge of the pool facing the tunnel incline, and shifted into hyper speed vaulting high into the shaft after a running start. With Tim and their supplies strapped across her back, Gold Wing soared upwards, stretching her hands before her.

This time, Laura made it nearly three quarters of the way up the shaft before she had to grab onto the pre-dug handholds and footholds for a break. Tim was shocked at the sudden stop, nearly losing his grip on Laura's neck. He stabilized quickly, breathing heavily. "Another two or three tries, and I might make it all the way out of the fissure on the first try." She remarked sarcastically.

From here, Gold Wing just crawled up through the hole, Tim in tow, and was once again greeted by warm humid air and dazzling sunlight. She helped him hang from the rim of the aperture, and they both climbed out, resting on a ledge surrounded by sandy soil. "Well, we're out of the belly of this beast." Tim joked. "Now what?" Laura glanced around for a safe place to stow Tim and their gear.

"Let's explore this valley, but I want to grab the dinosaurs before we go any further." Gold Wing instructed. "You can keep out of trouble for a few more minutes, can't you?" Tim shrugged. "With this crazy island, who knows? Maybe we should leave the dinosaurs." Laura shook her head. "No, that's not cool! I'll hurry and get them. You can sit atop that ridge, so you can see any possible threats."

Tim followed her gaze, as Laura pointed to a high point near one of the volcanic steam release areas. They hurried towards it, and settled down for a quick break. The ground beneath them shook with a good amount of force. "Great, are we sitting on an active volcano?" Tim whined. "There isn't supposed to be an active volcano here, Tim." Laura answered as she surveyed the area with her enhanced vision.

"Seriously? Laurie, there's not supposed to be extinct animals propagating in the middle of the Pacific either!" He chastised her. "Point taken." Laura smirked.


	30. Chapter 30: Crystal Cave 2

**Hidden** – _Chapter 30_

Laura allowed Tim to rest atop the cooled lava field just below the outer edge of the volcano's crater. She quickly sped back to the mewling dinosaurs, and zipped past them along the new antechamber that she'd located. This tunnel was much darker than the others, and she had to use a small kryptonite flashlight to illuminate the walls, and watch for unexpected drop-offs.

Eventually, Gold Wing found a glimmer of light that beamed down from the tunnel's ceiling. The opening was too small for much of anything to climb through, so she had to improvise, smashing both fists through the tunnel's upper edge, until the warm humid air filtered into the antechamber.

Finally, after a few minutes, Gold Wing had cracked enough of the craggy rocks away from the original hole to allow for the passage of the dinosaurs and her as well. She climbed out of the orifice, and stood near a grassy field at the opposite side of the volcano from Tim.

Laura noted some signs of civilization a short distance away. She spied a low, green metallic looking building surrounded by smaller, brown and green structures. The constructs seemed very modern compared to the rustic, mostly trample free landscape that she and Tim were familiar with.

Gold Wing couldn't very well drop off the dinosaurs in the middle of a human encampment, so now she was back to square one with them. Laura hyper sped over to the compound and was surprised at the amount of activity. People buzzed in and around the structures. The humans she saw were diverse in age, race, sex, and ethnicity, but they all wore tacky multicolored tropical shirts and cargo shorts.

_A tourist trap_? She wondered silently. That seemed unlikely in this environment, and the human encampment was fairly far away from the island's coasts. They appeared to be too clean cut to be pirates, drug runners, or rogue illegal alien traders. Laura approached them directly, but cautiously.

"Excuse me?" Laura yelled towards a tall slim dark skinned woman in khaki green shorts and a loud blue flowered blouse. "Holy Mother of God!" The tall woman exclaimed. "How did you get here? You can't be here!" The woman backed away, growing more flustered and agitated.

"I was just looking for some information." Gold Wing continued, chasing the middle-aged woman who had begun to run back towards a small, greenish brown domicile about the size of a Seven Eleven. Laura sped up just fast enough to get ahead of the tall fleeing woman. "Wait! I have some questions!" Gold Wing pleaded. "I cannot answer them!" The woman shouted over her shoulder.

The woman sidestepped Laura and jogged up four steps and began pounding on a door. Laura stopped and waited to see who would answer the frightened woman's knock. Within moments, two large men, one dark skinned, and the other more olive to tan skinned, emerged. One carried an automatic rifle, the other a machete. _No, this wasn't suspicious at all_, Gold Wing thought cynically.

"You! Come here!" The heavier dark skinned man barked, gesturing at Laura. Gold Wing folded her arms defiantly. "No! You come here!" She challenged, and pointed to the ground before her. The scared woman slipped past the burly men and entered the structure. The lighter skinned one vaulted deftly off of the stairway deck and landed beside Laura, waving his machete menacingly. The guards were dressed similarly to the other people that Gold Wing had seen, oddly enough, the area grew quickly deserted.

"You in a lot of trouble, Missy!" The machete guy said, with an Asian sounding accent, as he tried to get behind her. Laura spun to face him, as the guy with the gun jogged down the steps to help his buddy. The Asian guard reached out to grab Laura by the head, and she leapt straight up and over him, kicking him in the back of his knees. "You don't want to do that." She threatened as he crumpled to the ground in some slight pain. His buddy with the gun pointed the barrel at Laura's head.

_Faster than a speeding bullet_? Gold Wing mentally quipped as she kicked the guy on the ground over onto his side. "Put your gun away dude, I'm just here to talk." Laura attempted to placate him. "We don't have anything to say, and I would ask you to leave, but I don't believe that is allowed." The dark skinned guy cocked the rifle. "Not allowed? Who's in charge here?" Laura demanded.

"What the hell is going on out here?" A woman's voice asked from just beyond the edge of the next building. A slim light skinned woman wearing the ubiquitous flower patterned blouse with dark brown cargo shorts stalked towards them. The only difference between her and the others was that she was also wearing a thin, white, unbuttoned lab coat that nearly reached her ankles in length.

Laura used a portion of her hyper speed to disarm the guard, lightly hitting him in the forehead with the butt of the rifle. He went down in a heap, but remained conscious, though no doubt he would have a substantial bruise and an excruciating headache for a while.

Gold Wing gasped as she recognized the lab technician. "Livie?" Laura asked, incredulous. "What? Do I know you? I am Dr. Olivia Descarte. Livie is the name my deceased parents used to call me." Gold Wing brushed her raven black hair from her eyes and stepped over the two guards. Olivia appeared quite a few years older than Livie or Laura, with sandy brown hair and wearing a pair of eyeglasses.

"I thought we met you on the other side of the island." Laura began. "Do you have an evil twin?" Olivia chuckled. "That would be a negative. Who are you again?" She asked as she gestured for the guards to stand down. Laura tossed the rifle back towards the fallen and angry men.

"My name is Laura Lake, and my friend and I were just doing some sightseeing and we got lost." Gold Wing lied convincingly, though it wasn't that much of a stretch of the truth. "Really? What friend is that?" Olivia asked, glancing beyond and behind Laura. "Tim." Gold Wing replied. "I left him below in the crystal caves." She tossed her name for the cavern catacombs out there for a reaction.

Olivia bit on the baited trap. "I see. So you've been below ground." The lab technician scowled. "That is unfortunate. We are running a top secret group of experiments on the local flora and fauna. You are in violation of my property rights, both intellectual and physical. There will be consequences." Livie delivered the veiled threat. "I didn't see any warning signs." Laura played dumb.

"The locals and I have an understanding that trespassers are not allowed." Olivia added sourly, as Laura drew closer. By now, the guards were both up on their knees and resumed reaching for their weapons. "Oh, well we just set sail from the main island and ended up here." Gold Wing downplayed. "You aren't allowed to be here." Olivia continued menacingly. Laura watched the guards out of the corner of her eye.

"Fine." Gold Wing snapped. "I'll just gather my friend up and we'll go." Olivia's gaze narrowed. "I said that there would be consequences." The renegade doctor reminded her.

"Go ahead and call the police." Laura called Olivia's bluff. "Unfortunately, we don't have a specific police force available." Olivia played cat and mouse. "That's not my problem, is it?" Gold Wing lowered her voice gruffly. "I'm afraid it is." Olivia gestured for both men to take Laura.

They lunged at her, and Gold Wing spun sideways, leaping into the air, briefly touching her feet on the building's wall, before somersaulting high above them, and landing gracefully several paces behind the charging guards. "Wow!" Olivia gasped. "I've never seen a human pull off that move." She commented.

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises." Laura taunted as she vaulted straight up, executing a perfect backflip, and landing atop the flat building's roof. She peered over the edge at the startled men as Olivia shook her head in disbelief. "My God! What are you?" Olivia exclaimed. "I'm just a pain in the ass, just a fly in the ointment." Gold Wing sneered. "By the way, Olivia, just what the hell are you into here?"

"I told you. We are conducting secret research here, and you are interfering." Dr. Descarte explained angrily. Laura ran along the rooftop towards Olivia as the guards rushed to catch up. "Does that research include resurrecting prehistoric animals, Olivia?" Gold Wing challenged. "Oh. You've seen them, have you? Let's just say that there were some unexpected side-effects of our research." Olivia replied.

"Yeah, well I trapped two of your dinosaurs in the caverns below, near my friend Tim." Laura said as she vaulted across the area between buildings, landing on another slightly higher rooftop. The guards tiredly kept up their pursuit. Olivia began to jog behind them towards Laura. "Wait! Don't shoot her!" The lab technician ordered, as the goon with the rifle stopped to get Gold Wing in his sights.

"You said you wanted some information?" Olivia teased. "I seem to be losing interest, while your thugs are trying to kill me." Laura snapped loudly. "Wait!" Olivia requested. "I'll fill you in on our research, if you tell me how you acquired those unusual superhuman abilities." The curious doctor offered.

"Deal!" Gold Wing stated. "Now, call off your goons!" Naturally, Laura had no intention of telling Olivia all of her secrets, but she wanted an answer to what was going on with this bizarre island. "Stop!" The young doctor ordered. The thugs slowed and stood, flashing Olivia a questioning glance. "We can always dispose of her later." Olivia said quietly, and Laura heard her, expecting that type of reaction.

"We still have to get to her friend Tim." Olivia explained. "He's a witness as well." Laura stood defiantly on the apex of the roof, arms crossed. "Please, come down." Olivia asked far too sweetly. "Fine. No tricks!" Gold Wing still played dumb, as she somersaulted off the roof and onto the ground beside Olivia, all in all a thirty to forty foot drop. "Amazing!" Olivia praised. "You're not even sweating!"

"You said that your friend was stuck in the catacombs with my dinosaurs?" Olivia tried to sound concerned. "Yeah, and I promised to come back and get him, and relocate your dinosaurs." Laura responded warily. "By the way, Dr. Descarte, how exactly did you create these animals, and call them your dinosaurs. You know that I've seen Jurassic Park about a dozen times." Gold Wing quipped.

Olivia laughed raucously. "Young lady, Jurassic Park is a fantasy, this set of experiments are reality." Laura was continually weighing whether Olivia was a driven doctor or a megalomaniac whack job, and as of yet, she couldn't decide. At least she seemed more civilized than her evil twin, Livie.

"First off, we didn't create the dinosaurs. They simply began appearing in the more sparsely populated regions of the island." Olivia began, as the goons settled for quietly escorting Laura and Dr. Descarte towards the building Gold Wing had just leapt from. Laura wasn't buying that. "How could they just begin appearing? There had to be some kind of a catalyst to bring them here." Gold Wing pointed out.

"Yes, and I promise to explain everything after we retrieve your friend and extricate the dinosaurs." Olivia spun her story as she opened the common metal double doors that led into the tallest of the three buildings. "Which dinosaurs are they, again?" Olivia checked Laura's story. "Tim called them Huati's or something." Gold Wing answered. "They were quite impressive." She added, playing along.

"So that's where they are." Olivia said as she slipped a key card through an electronic access device. Laura followed Dr. Descarte into a type of laboratory. She couldn't immediately understand what Dr. Descarte's people were doing, but unmistakably, this place was high tech. Laura recognized one of the crystal shards that they'd found in the caves. It appeared to be running a digital machine.

Gold Wing made no mention of the crystal to Olivia, but it filled in a piece of the overall puzzle. The white crystals had to be a type of power source. Laura was willing to bet that Olivia's harvesting of these crystals were behind all of this. That still didn't explain the dinosaurs, the natives, or the pirates. The two thugs had left them and presumably returned to their posts.

There were dozens of lab technicians. All dressed the same way, working on various consoles and computer screens. Most of them ignored the visitors, as they continued to concentrate on their assigned duties. Olivia led her to a corner office, which was located behind another access door. The name on the door indeed said 'Dr. Olivia Descarte, Chief Technician'. Laura noted.

"Have a seat, Miss Lake." Olivia offered. Gold Wing complied.


	31. Chapter 31: Crystal Cave 3

**Gold Wing** –_ Crystal Cave_ 3 Chapter 31

"Dr. Descarte, let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Laura challenged. "As I stated, my friend and your dinosaurs await my return. What exactly do these diamond-like crystal shards do?" Olivia glanced warily at the Gold Wing. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." The scientist said half-seriously.

Laura frowned. "That seems unlikely." She responded coldly. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Olivia quipped. "I've got nothing to show." Laura defended. "You can always call the police, but we both know that there isn't a cell in the world that can hold me." Gold Wing said with bravado.

"Help me out, here." Dr. Descarte pleaded. "What are you? I mean no offense." Laura sighed. "I'm what you'd call an enhanced human or a Meta Human if you prefer." Gold Wing opened. "I can run faster, jump higher, fight stronger, and move with more agility than a normal or average human." That was about all Laura was willing to tell Olivia without any more feedback.

"That's fascinating!" Olivia remarked. "I've never heard of such a thing." Gold Wing was growing impatient with Dr. Descarte, who seemed to be dawdling with her answers. "Dr. Descarte, what exactly are you into here?" Laura prodded. "We're an independent research firm." Olivia replied vaguely. "We create experiments that can lead to some future developments in nature and science."

"You're in this research arena for profit, then?" Laura grilled, sounding more like Lois Lane than she cared to admit. "Of course." Olivia responded defiantly, adding: "There's nothing illegal about it." Gold Wing wasn't so sure. "It's not my problem, whether your operation is legit or not." Laura stated. "What I want to know is why would you bring back or create extinct life forms?" She inquired.

"You have seen _Jurassic Park_, haven't you?" Laura teased. "_Jurassic Park_ was a fantasy." Olivia snapped. "We are examining different possibilities of existence, here." She added curtly. _Still too vague_, Laura thought silently. "You mentioned earlier that the dinosaurs were a side effect of some of your experiments." Gold Wing tossed Olivia's words back in her face. "Care to explain that?"

"I can't divulge much." Olivia evaded. "Hence, the idea of secret research." She said arrogantly. "The people I work for have definite expectations and copyright implications for what we discover here." Laura sneered, _now we're getting somewhere_, she mused. "Who are these people?" Gold Wing didn't expect a straight answer from the secretive scientist. "I won't be able to tell you that." Olivia stated firmly.

"Put it this way…" Olivia continued. "My superiors are the kind of people that you don't find, they find you, and you'll do what they say, or you'll simply disappear. The people I work for have the power to erase you, completely, and your family as well. They're the power players behind the power players. They aren't afraid of anyone, any government, or breaking any rules."

Laura could understand that. "Why would you get involved with them, Dr. Descarte? What do they have on you?" Gold Wing pried. "Miss Lake, I make an obscene amount of money working on this gray area research. I conduct experiments, produce results, and analyze the findings." Olivia bragged. "But you can never leave?" Laura put in. "That sounds more like the mafia to me."

"I can leave whenever I want, but then I'd be unemployed, and possibly erased on top of it." Olivia continued. "I don't want to leave. I have tons of work to do. Call it a long term contract." She added.

"Okay, it's your life, professor." Laura held up her hands in resignation. "What I want to know is what caused the dinosaur anomalies. Seriously, where does one get dinosaur DNA?" Olivia nodded. "This I can tell you, the dinosaurs are real, and it's interesting that you chose the word anomaly, because that is exactly what we're dealing with here. The crystals, placed in a certain formation, create anomalies."

"Create anomalies? Like what, a doorway through time?" Laura guessed logically. "You are quite perceptive, Miss Lake." Olivia praised. "Are you sure that you wouldn't like to work for us? We could double our experiments, and increase our profitability substantially."

"Uh, no thanks, doc, I like my freedom." Gold Wing snarled. "That's a shame." Olivia said as she pressed a button on the side of her desk. "You do realize that we can't let you just walk out of here, don't you?" Dr. Descarte threatened. "You do realize that you have no power to stop me?" Laura countered. "I guess we're finished here." Two big marauding guards jogged towards Olivia's office.

"Good bye, Miss Lake." Olivia smirked. The guards jammed in through the doorway, and Laura spun to face them. There was no way out of the office other than through them. "You just don't get it, do you?" Gold Wing challenged. "I'll toss your dinosaurs back up through the cave entrance, and you can pick them up there." She yelled over her shoulder.

The guards advanced on Laura with high powered stun guns. Gold Wing assumed that they used the electrical prods to relocate the dinosaurs, like one would do to direct cattle or other livestock. The goons wore black gloves that presumably protected them from a backwash of electrical voltage. The nearest creep jammed the business end of the electric prod into Laura's ribcage. She felt a little jolt, like if she contacted a live wire.

Gold Wing laughed as her raven black hair stood on end. The second guard pressed his prod against Laura's back, and she swept them both away with a mighty swing of her arm, knocking them into the filing cabinets that lined Olivia's office. "Amazing!" The obsessed doctor commented. "There was enough voltage there to fell a full grown Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

"I told you that no one could possibly stop me!" Laura shamelessly boasted as she knocked the two guards' heads together. They sank to the floor as Gold Wing's hair frizzed up into an endless wave of curls. "Was it good for you, fellas?" Laura teased as she stepped over the moaning goons.

"Dr. Descarte, if I were you, I'd consider another line of work." Gold Wing taunted. "Don't get too comfortable in this plush corner office, because when I find your mysterious bosses, I'll bring them down. I'm sure that most of your superiors' projects are below board. Eventually they will slip up, and I'll be there to see that justice is served." Gold Wing menaced. "I don't doubt it, Miss Lake." Olivia said.

With that, Laura vaulted over two more guards that were racing towards her, and swinging from the building's rafters like a caged monkey, she landed on the floor across the lab room, startling a dozen or so workers. Gold Wing switched into hyper speed, weaving in between the lab desks and cabinets, as her visual perception shifted, she eyed a glimpse of a file entitled 'Crystalline Power Source'.

She deftly picked it up and sped off with it towards the cave fissure. Laura placed the lifted document in her backpack, and set about the job of relocating the starving Huatis back upon the island's surface.

Gold Wing dropped down into the fissure, and sure enough, the feathered dinosaurs hadn't moved very far away from the crystal filled underground stream. "Easy, girl!" Laura tried to soothe the hissing beast.

Before it knew what happened, Laura had grabbed the pregnant dinosaur and sped her up through the tunnel and into the stretch of dense foliage opposite the valley where she'd left Tim. The female appeared dizzy and snorted, sniffing the air for predators or prey. Laura repeated the procedure with the slightly larger male, depositing him reasonably close to the female where he could pick up her scent.

Gold Wing zipped back to Tim, who was impatiently pacing back and forth across the lava field. The ground continued to rumble beneath their feet. A blast of high powered steam shot into the sky like the _Old Faithful_ Geyser back on the mainland. "Laurie! It's about time!" Tim whined loudly.

"Sorry Tim-ster! It took longer than I thought, but do I have a story for you!" Laura boasted excitedly. Gold Wing related her experience to Tim as they carefully skirted the easily disrupted lava rocks strewn around the volcanic crater. "So Olivia exists in two places at once?" Tim asked incredulously.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that Livie actually exists in two different dimensions of time." Laura reached for a logical explanation. "Not to go all _Twilight Zone_ on you, Tim, but I believe that Livie and her goons are screwing around with time itself." Tim whistled. "That would explain a lot. How do we prove it? Who do we call? No one would believe a couple of nosy teenagers." Tim pointed out.

"This sounds like a job for Clark Kent and the rest of the crew." Laura mentioned. "I can handle anything that ol' Livie could throw at us, but this calls for some people with influence, like Oliver Queen, or Senator Martha Kent. Besides, we're due back for Lois and Clark's wedding next week."

The ground beneath them shook again, but it felt different to Gold Wing, more like pounding than geological rumbling. Sure enough, off to their right in a lush green valley, something large and grayish green moved. The teens glanced in the general direction of the noise.

"Unexplained anomalies my ass!" Laura snapped as she identified the moving creature. A fully grown Apatosaurus, similar to a Brontosaur or Diplodocus, barreled through the underbrush. A pair of large eyes appeared just above the tree line. It sniffed at the tops of the trees with its massive nostrils. A lengthy, slender, snakelike neck led to its head, which was far smaller than the rest of its body.

The dinosaur paid them no mind as it went about munching contentedly on the thick palm fronds that until recently had been wavering in the warm, tropical breezes. Tim showed no fear of the Apatosaur, knowing that it was a full-fledged plant eater. "She's smaller than the ones pictured in the dinosaur websites." He commented. "That would be consistent with the other animals we've seen here." Gold Wing pointed out. "Every creature we saw seemed to be a lesser version of the originals."

"I think Livie is playing God here!" Tim snorted angrily. "However she's doing it, these anomalies can't be allowed to continue indefinitely." Laura nodded in agreement. "Let's head back to town, and then to the mainland, Tim." She suggested. "We're keeping the diamond-like crystals as well."

"I agree." Tim watched the Apatosaur bend its long neck downward to drink from a large puddle of water that had pooled in one of the small dormant craters that pockmarked the tropical landscape.

"Livie and her goons aren't going anywhere soon." Laura said as she glanced warily at the hillside, expecting Dr. Descarte's muscle heads to attack her and Tim. "We're coming back! This time with some funding and some backup." Gold Wing stated boldly. "Livie can't just get away with this."

Next up: **Superman: Rough Justice**


	32. Chapter 32: Superman 4

**Superman Part 4 – Rough Justice**

Laura Lake / Gold Wing and her BFF, Tim Servo have just returned from the mysterious Island of Tears, where they uncovered a covert group that appeared to be legit, but there was a huge amount of clandestine activity going on. Tim had busied himself studying the bright whitish blue crystals that they managed to bring back with them.

Gold Wing had received an urgent text from Chloe that outlined Jon and Oliver's big meeting with the other superheroes, specifically as a form of outreach to the mysterious and unpredictable Batman. She decided to grab her late father's Honda Gold Wing motorcycle and cruise out to the deserted VFW Hall where this secret meeting was to be held. Laura observed the Batman, Nightwing, and Batgirl taking in the conference, and took a seat near them.

"We will be talking about ELLE, or Extinction Likely Level Events." Oliver began without preamble. "We plan on developing an Existential Threat Assessment Warning System." Jon added. "Queen Industries, partnering with Arizona's Worthington Co Automation Division, will sign contracts to build, institute, and monitor these systems. Some of you are already familiar with Watchtower." Oliver paused.

"The ETAWS will be Watchtower times a hundredfold. This next generation of Global Security is a private venture." Oliver continued, motioning for Tess to join them on stage. "By keeping this project private, we will be avoiding, and actually circumventing government involvement." Tess added. "Our goal is to go global in a very short period of time." She concluded, and stepped aside.

"Boy, Daddy would have a fit if he knew about this." Lois commented quietly to Clark. "It's a good thing that we're not telling him then." Clark replied cynically. "He may come around some day." Clark added. "Unfortunately, it won't be until we face a threat that no government can handle, like Darkseid, or even Zod and the Kandorians." Kara had heard them discussing that, and she shifted uneasily in her seat.

_What if they turn against us_? The Supergirl wondered silently. Meanwhile, Bruce cleared his throat and reluctantly raised his gauntleted hand. "Yes, Batman?" Diana asked with an unusually sweet tone in her voice. Both Nightwing and Batgirl gawked openly at Bruce, and then glanced at Diana.

"I may have a friend that can help." Batman growled through his voice box. "I know billionaire Bruce Wayne, and I can ask him if he wants to join in your ETAWS project. Word is that Wayne Industries already has a similar global security system in the pipeline. Would you be interested?"

"Yes. Definitely." Oliver said, decisively. "As long as he agrees to maintain the veil of secrecy." Batman nodded. "Mr. Wayne has confided in only me and two of his top technicians. I'll have him set up an appointment with you, Mr. Queen?" Oliver waved the okay. "Yes. Please."

"Thank you, Batman." Jon Jonz said and returned to the ELLE discussion. "As our group plans for the future, would we all agree that our primary responsibility is to protect planet Earth from threats within and without?" Jon baited them. "Now that we are all aware of the existence of extraterrestrials, it stands to reason that some of them may not be considered friendly." Oliver pointed out.

"Oliver always was the master of understatement." Lois quipped as Clark nodded in agreement. "I'd like to begin by covering the natural threats that man encounters every day." Jon continued. "These following ELLEs are common, and the most likely to occur. Natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tornadoes, fires, or a disruption in the food supply chain are usually well handled."

"Yet, I believe that it should remain a paramount mission of our group to use our unique and extraordinary abilities to render immediate assistance, regardless of the usual authorities." Jon added. "Alone, we can do very little to help, but as a group we would be invaluable."

A chorus of 'yeahs' and claps made their way through the small VFW Hall. Even the usually reserved Batgirl politely applauded. "This sounds like something you'd hear at Gotham State University." She commented. "True, but aren't we too busy handling scumbags to go all global activist?" Dick countered sourly. Bruce gave them a stare to quiet them.

Gold Wing raised her leather clad hand. "Yes, Gold Wing?" Oliver was careful to respond to Laura without using her real name. "Arrow? What are you actually getting at?" She prodded. "I propose that we each take responsibility for a certain area of the country, and eventually some specific areas of the world." Oliver answered. "For example, Chloe and I will be returning to Star City." He dropped the bomb.

"We'll be responsible for Star City, and the regions that we can access quickly." Chloe piped in from the audience. "We're limited to how much ground we can cover without any superhuman abilities." Jon Jonz nodded, adding: "Each member of our league will be assigned areas based on their inherent powers, or lack thereof. Both cases can be helpful. Certain members would have far greater areas of responsibility."

"League?" Lois's outburst from the fourth row startled everyone. "That has a nice ring to it." The intrepid reporter commented cheerfully, writing some possibilities on a few pieces of paper that she'd brought with her. "A league sounds less threatening than an army, or some alphabet soup of government acronyms." Lois concluded as she continued to scribble.

Hawkman suddenly got up and flapped his wings lifting him onto the stage beside Oliver. Hawkgirl continued to stare menacingly at everyone in the hall. "Yes, Hawkman?" Jon asked coolly. "We should honor those before us that continued to be the light that opposes darkness in all its forms. I say that our group should have the word 'justice' within it, like the Justice Society of America from years past."

"Agreed." Clark shouted, forgetting that he wasn't the Blur. Lois elbowed him in the ribs. Naturally, he barely noticed. Oliver snickered. "Thank you for that resounding confirmation Mr. Kent." Arrow needled him as Clark reddened. Lois placed her head in her hands. _Playing the inept, mild mannered reporter will_ _probably be more difficult than we think,_ she silently mused.

Bruce noted both the reference to the JSA, and Kent's outburst. He was starting to get the bigger picture here. Simultaneously, the sharp young detectives, Barbara and Dick picked up on the reference. "Did you catch that, Batman?" Nightwing asked. Bruce calmly nodded and gestured for him to pay attention.

"We can have an immediate vote, if you'd like." Jon Jonz stated calmly. The murmurs from the unusual audience sounded positive, so Oliver nodded. "Okay, who thinks that Justice should be part of our group's eventual name? Show of hands please."

Everyone except Shayera, Batman, Batgirl, and Nightwing raised one hand. Barbara felt bad that she hadn't contributed to the vote or discussion, but she remained silent. "Very well, Justice something it will be." Oliver chuckled. "Do you object, Batman?" Jon Jonz pinned Bruce down. "No, Detective Jones, I'm just more interested in the overall purpose of this organization." Batman growled, sounding surly.

"Understandable." Jon Jonz remarked. "We will continue with the broader discussion on ELLEs." Lois risked a glance at Batman and spoke into Clark's ear. "Bat guy doesn't seem particularly impressed, honey. Maybe we should've invited the Blur instead." She observed. "I think that he'll come around. Maybe after next week, Batman will be more intrigued." Clark commented.

"We've already touched on natural disasters, and now we'd like to cover manmade disasters, or conflicts." Jon continued. Hawkman flew back to his seat next to Shayera. "Are you following all this, Hawkgirl?" He questioned his wife. "Yes, my king. I just wonder why we sit about and talk when there are wars to be won and battles to be fought." Shayera responded with a heavy Middle Eastern accent.

"All in good time, Shayera." Carter remarked. "Here on Earth, in this time, I am your husband, not your king." Naturally, both Kara and Clark had followed their quiet discussion, though they tried not to be obvious about it. That exchange would be worth following up on with the roguish Carter Hall.

"The most obvious threat to mankind in its present form would be a rogue launch of nuclear weapons by one country or terrorist state against another, resulting in World War III." Jon began icily. "On the one hand, we are of the mind that all nuclear weapons should be banned, yet on the other, I believe that nuclear powered energy is paramount to Earth's technological advances."

"Hence, the double edged sword." Oliver contributed. "Some of us here today may be powerful enough to physically restrain developers of nuclear weapons, and some likely powerful enough to destroy all nuclear weapons that one can find." Arrow let that observation hang in the air. "The problem with that is how much power should one being, or one league, have? We all have to consider that."

Clark raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Kent?" Oliver was puzzled by his friend's action. "Do you mind if I say a few words?" Lois glared at him. "Honey, what are you doing? We're supposed to be observing." She chastised him. "Thank you." Clark said as he stood up and walked gingerly to the podium, deftly hopping up onto the stage. Jon and Oliver stared at him. "What's up, Boy Scout?" Oliver asked quietly.

Clark just nodded toward the audience. Lois ducked her head and glanced down. "If we form this League of Justice or whatever, we need to remember to stay morally sound, and not let the power trip get into our heads. Our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness, is our humanity." Clark made eye contact with everyone as quickly as he could. "A wise visitor once told that to me, and I found that it rings true."

"Nice." Batgirl smiled, and forgot that she was supposed to remain silent. "Doesn't this sound like our Humanities and Philosophy classes, Nightwing?" Dick nodded before answering. "It also reminds me of something your father might say, or Alfred." He added under a withering glare from Batman. "You guys aren't getting the whole idea behind secret identities, are you?" He growled at his young assistants.

"If we do this, we do it together." Clark continued his lecture. "Remember, we are on the same team regardless of whether we have superior abilities or not." The audience applauded as Clark paused, and then recalled that he was supposed to be an observer, and quickly vacated the stage area.

"Great speech, honey." Lois snapped. "You know that the Blur would've liked that." She added sarcastically. Clark reddened as Lois gently kissed his cheek. Kara slouched in her seat and sighed, wishing that she'd decided to come as Supergirl. _Maybe next time_, she mused silently. "Uh, thank you Mr. Kent." Oliver said cordially. "I guess that we all echo your sentiment."

Jon refocused the discussion, speaking on the manmade threats of biological and chemical warfare, country destabilization and unrest, small scale terrorism, worldwide riots, political corruption, and some new forms of weaponry, like the electromagnetic pulse weapon that could knock out an entire city, state, or country's electrical power, and concluded with a vicious cyber-attack that could bring down the world's financial market's computer system in favor of a new world order.

All of these disasters were manmade, and very prevalent in today's society. Courtney Whitmore had grown restless, and during a break made her way over to sit between Clark and Kara. Stargirl smiled at them, and said: "Boy, you guys are covering all the bases today, aren't you?"

Lois laughed. "You haven't seen anything, yet. Detective Jones is about to cover extraterrestrial threats next. Honey, could you zip off and get me some popcorn?" She teased Clark quietly. "Funny." He chuckled briefly.

The adventure continues in "The Last Daughter of Krypton"


End file.
